May 26, 2011
The Castro Valley Trojans went 31-2 this past season on their way to the Northern California title game. A big reason was their senior leadership led by point guard Roderick Bobbitt. Replacing him would seem to be a tall order, but the Trojans will bring in freshman point guard Jalen McFerren.
At 5-foot-9 and 145 pounds, McFerren is a slashing player with finesse who can play physical and aggressive. His best move is the in and out crossover which allows him to get to the basket to finish or distribute. He considers his game to be similar to Tony Parker because he is athletic with a respectable outside shot but also the ability to drive under control and finish.
During this summer, McFerren is trying to prepare mentally for the role as the team's point guard. He will be weight training with coach Anthony Eggleton at Ants Mind and Body to get stronger. In addition, he will be playing with his Oakland Rebels 15U club team.
"Jalen is a gym rat who loves to be in the gym," says Rebel Coach Ray Young. "As a basketball player, Jalen's strengths are his quickness and his ability to score. He is converting over to be a pure point guard. His IQ, strong work ethic, and willingness to learn are helping him transform rather quickly. As Jalen matures and gets stronger, he will defiantly be a division one caliber point guard. Jalen is a great young man and a joy to coach."
McFerren sports a 3.6 GPA as Math is his best subject, is a member of the California Scholastic Federation, and would like to major in Electrical Engineering. He wants to attend a program with strong academics, diverse enrollment, and strong athletic department. His goal is to lead the Trojans to the HAAL title and make it back to state in consecutive years.
As a freshman this past year, he was brought up to varsity two thirds into the season, which allowed him to practice against varsity teammates Bobbit and Dawson Johnson.
McFerren says about the experience, "When you show up at the gym and look around and see the two year HAAL MVP and returning all first team league players and division I recruits all over the court, it can be pretty intimidating. I felt if I could compete with the top players in the Bay Area every day in practice, it would only sharpen my skills. 'As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.' If I want to be the best, I have to be able to compete against the best. I am very excited about next year at Castro Valley. Many people are calling it a rebuilding year, but don't count us out so fast."
In the near future, he wants to be involved with a community service program and mentor some younger kids with the same goals for education and sports. McFerren believes that it is important to remain teachable in all areas of life and to share that knowledge. If McFerren has learned anything by practicing with the Trojan varsity squad, then opponents should start fearing McFerren in the upcoming season at Castro Valley.
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