In competitive sports, defining moments for players are rare but memorable. These moments require a confluence of circumstances to make this even possible. When these proverbial stars align, then the player needs to seize the moment and perform.
For the Sacramento High Dragons, a defining moment happened against Bishop O'Dowd in the MLK Classic at UC Berkeley. In the week leading up to the game, Sacramento had a key player leave the team. Going into the game, the consensus was that Bishop O'Dowd would be heavy favorites as Sacramento was going through the roster change and turmoil.
The Bishop O'Dowd game became an opportunity to be a defining moment for the Dragons. Sophomore combination guard Aaron Cameron seized the moment and had a signature game by scoring 33 points on eight 3-point shots and scored 8 points in the two overtime session in leading his team to an 86-85 win.
At 5-foot-10 and 162 pounds, Cameron is in his first year on the varsity team. After the roster shakeup, he was starting in only his third game of the season. He had shown signs of his ability as he had previously had a season high game of 22 points on six 3-point shots.
Cameron has been averaging close to 10 points, 2 assists, and 1 rebound per game. He considers himself to be a finesse player who moves around to get to the open area. He models his game after Boston Celtic Ray Allen because he is an incredible shooter who can get to the basket at times and moves well without the ball.
Cameron also utilizes an effective in and out dribble that complements his accurate shooting. During the offseason, he works on his defense and ball handling because solid defense is something that will always keep a player on the court while he needs to be adept at ball handling as a guard.
The recruiting process is still early for this sophomore. However, he has a 3.94 GPA and is making sure that he is academically fit for the recruiting process. He would like to major in something in the liberal arts fields even though Math is his best subject. Cameron is open to the location of the college. His favorite basketball programs that he follows are BCS powers like Duke, Kentucky, and North Carolina. He would like to play for a program that has balanced inside and outside offensive game or one that likes to play up tempo.
Sacramento High Coach Derek Swafford says, "For a 10th grader Aaron is a very good shooter. He wants to get better and win but needs to become a better defender and this will come as he matures with the game. He is very respectful to adults and this is a presentation of his family upbringing. In my opinion, he will play at some level of NCAA basketball by his senior year."
For the Sacramento High Dragons and Cameron specifically, his 33 point game against Bishop O'Dowd has been the defining moment in their season during that roller coaster week. If the Dragons make a deep run in the playoffs, then the team will look back to that game as the defining moment. When Cameron finishes a successful high school career, that game was the defining moment that could be the springboard to a college career.
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