The Sheldon Huskies returned starters Kyiron Thomas, Dakarai Allen, and D'Erryl Williams II from a 24-8 season that ended in the Northern California semifinals. The Huskies lost 2011 starters Ramon Eaton (Pepperdine) and Darius Nelson (UTEP) but another key piece that has stepped up in the rotation is point guard Jalen Hicks.
At 6-foot-2 and 160 pounds, Hicks had minimal playing time in his first year on varsity for the Huskies last year. However, the 2013 prospect has proven himself at every other level.
During middle school, he played on his club team Beyond Basketball that featured himself with his future Sheldon teammates, Dakarai Allen, Armani Hampton, Chris Haney, and D'Erryl Williams II. His former coach D'Erryl Williams I, who was an athletic wing in the early 1980s for Santa Clara University and played alongside future sports agent Bill Duffy, preached a pressure defense and fast pace tempo offense on his club team. The cohesiveness of the Beyond Basketball alums has been evident for the current Sheldon team.
This past summer, Hicks played for the Lil Reg Shooting Stars based out of Sacramento. Lil Reg Coach Reggie Vaughn says, "Jalen has a very high basketball IQ. He is very competitive and takes this game serious. Most high school players laugh and have fun after games that they lost, but this young man gets very upset and wants to work harder so that it won't happen to his team again. His strength on the court is defense. Jalen reminds me of Eric 'Sleepy' Floyd that played for Georgetown/ the Golden State Warriors."
Hicks is a floor leader, and has no problem directing traffic on the court, but can also score almost any time he has the ball, like he did when he helped lead the Lil Reg shooting Stars to the Championship of the Rumble in The Bay. He loves to be a play-maker. Off the court, he's a kid who comes from good stock, he loves spending time with family and has a great attitude off the court. From an NCAA perspective, Hicks is the whole package at point guard.
At the Rumble in the Bay in Cupertino, Hicks was quite adept at taking the ball into the lane and taking pull up jumpers. He has a long wingspan which allows him to disrupt passing lanes. Hicks thrives whenever Sheldon plays a three guard set.
The long, lanky guard likes to compare his game to former Georgetown star Eric "Sleepy" Floyd who was a crafty point guard. Hicks is a slasher who uses his in and out crossover to create space.
Sheldon Coach Joey Rollings comments on his expectations and perspective of Hicks. "Jalen sees the floor very well and is a great ball handler and passer. He is kind of quiet, but hates to lose. I think if he wants to make it to a Div 1 school, he needs to get a lot stronger and more athletic. He has great handles, but needs the burst of speed and strength to play against the big dogs. Jalen, is working very hard this summer, putting in time in the weight room and on the court. His confidence is soaring every day. I hope he becomes the player I know he can be."
The only college contact that he has had is with Boise State (John Rillie) and Santa Clara (Dustin Kerns). His individual goal is to lead the Delta River League in assists and steals while helping the team to the Northern California finals. Watch for Hicks to kick it up a gear in the current season for the Huskies in Sacramento.
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