For fans who attend current Cal Bears basketball home games in Harmon Gym, they will recognize Mike Montgomery who has been a Bay Area mainstay on the coaching sidelines that span from his days at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto to Oracle Arena in Oakland to his current stay in Berkeley. The main assistant coach for the Bears is a veteran in the college coaching ranks, Jay John who has over 30 years of college coaching including six years as head coach at Oregon State. John was also an accomplished basketball and football player at Northern Arizona.
These characteristics have been passed on to his son, Monte Vista sophomore Trevor John. The younger John was a key player in the rotation on the hardwood as he averaged six points, five rebounds, and two assists per game in the Mustangs 20-9 season. At 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds, John is also a rising baseball prospect on the pitching mound as his Mustangs are in the midst of a NCS title run with a 15-10 record.
John's basketball strength is his perimeter shooting and unselfishness in helping make his teammates better. He compares his game to former BYU Cougar Jimmer Fredette because of the similar size and the similar offensive arsenal of playmaking off of the dribble, getting teammates involved, and making perimeter shots.
Monte Vista returns six players next season in addition to having a new coach. John will be a starter who will be counted on to increase production on a team that will be guard oriented in its approach.
During the summer, John will play for his Oakland Soldiers 16 club. His best basketball move is a counter off of a jumper, rip through to the right, go into the middle of the lane, and shoot a floater. Conversely, he plans on working on his ball handling and shooting footwork because he feels that there is room for improvement and wants to increase the number of counter moves in his offensive arsenal.
Oakland Soldiers Coach Nick Enzweiler says, "Trevor is an excellent shooter with good range. He plays hard on every possession. He is a very tough competitor that doesn't like to lose. Also, he is very coachable, which is only natural because he is a coach's son."
John's father coaches major college basketball in the Pac-12 conference. The main advice that the Mustang takes from his father about his basketball game is to be able to shoot, to handle the ball, and to defend your opponent. John also can get athletic advice from his older brother, Tyler John, who walked on as a safety for the Oregon State Beaver football team.
"I think right now he is probably a low D1 prospect," says Enzweiler. "If he can improve his ball handling skills, his ability to put the ball on the floor and score around the basket and his lateral quickness so he can become a better on ball defender, then his stock will rise because good teams always need great shooters."
On the baseball diamond, John is a right-handed pitcher who tops out at 86 mph on the radar. He is a power pitcher who can be crafty when needed. His best pitch is his two seam fastball.
Last fall, he attended a Cal baseball camp where he showcased himself well. During the summer, he also plays for his Danville Hoots club that is considered one of the better amateur baseball teams in the country. The team's reputation in amateur baseball can be compared to the reputation of his Oakland Soldiers squad in basketball.
The success of that camp and his potential has garnered interest from Cal and UC Santa Barbara for baseball. On the basketball side, he has gotten an inquiry from Liberty in Virginia. John would like to play both sports in college as he carries a 3.67 GPA and is open to any geographic location.
Playing for the Oakland Soldiers during this summer and attending baseball camps will help John get more exposure in both sports. Watch for this bucking Mustang to bust out in both sports in Danville for the next two years. And then watch for John on the college level in the fall of 2014.
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