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Bakersfield Christian High senior guard Drew Minnear, a four-year varsity basketball player who was the South Yosemite Valley League co-most valuable player this past season, has signed with NAIA’s Arizona Christian University.
“I visited Arizona Christian on Saturday,” Minnear said. “I loved the area, it’s close to home and they have a great basketball program. They were in the NAIA Final Four last year. I feel it will be a great fit for me with the coaches, the staff and the players.”
Minnear had also considered and was offered by Oklahoma Wesleyan, another NAIA school whose basketball team reached the title game.
The announcement of Minnear’s decision was actually part of a schoolwide celebration for all BCHS graduating seniors — including some other athletes — who were declaring their college commitments inside the Eagles gymnasium on Wednesday.
Few others in the gym at that ceremony, aside from backcourt teammate and the other SYVL co-MVP, Gabe Gutierrez, helped create special moments on the basketball court as much as Minnear.
BCHS teams won more than 20 games each season, including a 24-9 record this year, four straight SYVL titles and this year a second straight undefeated league mark. Minnear’s BCHS teams lost only two league games in his four years and the Eagles made deep CIF playoff runs each year. The 2021-22 team won the Central Section Division I championship. This year’s team played in the CIF State Division II Southern California Regional final before losing 66-51 to Chatsworth.
He’s grown immensely in his talents on the court — “when I came here as a freshman, I couldn’t shoot, but I did a lot of shooting my last two years,” Minnear said — and Coach Garrett Brown appreciated both his basketball and leadership capabilities.
“Drew was a terrific player and was an extension of having a coach on the floor for us,” Brown said. “This is a proud moment for him and his parents. I look forward to seeing him continue his career in college. We’ll miss him but once you’ve played for me you’re part of the family.”
Brown said Minnear is the seventh guard in the last six years to sign with a college team and continue his career. Two of them are from this year’s team as Gutierrez committed to Concordia University of Irvine earlier this year.
“It’s been a blast playing here,” Minnear said. “I couldn’t ask for a better experience. I played on some really good teams. I feel the coaching staff and the faculty here always steered me in the right direction, on the right path.”
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“I visited Arizona Christian on Saturday,” Minnear said. “I loved the area, it’s close to home and they have a great basketball program. They were in the NAIA Final Four last year. I feel it will be a great fit for me with the coaches, the staff and the players.”
Minnear had also considered and was offered by Oklahoma Wesleyan, another NAIA school whose basketball team reached the title game.
The announcement of Minnear’s decision was actually part of a schoolwide celebration for all BCHS graduating seniors — including some other athletes — who were declaring their college commitments inside the Eagles gymnasium on Wednesday.
Few others in the gym at that ceremony, aside from backcourt teammate and the other SYVL co-MVP, Gabe Gutierrez, helped create special moments on the basketball court as much as Minnear.
BCHS teams won more than 20 games each season, including a 24-9 record this year, four straight SYVL titles and this year a second straight undefeated league mark. Minnear’s BCHS teams lost only two league games in his four years and the Eagles made deep CIF playoff runs each year. The 2021-22 team won the Central Section Division I championship. This year’s team played in the CIF State Division II Southern California Regional final before losing 66-51 to Chatsworth.
He’s grown immensely in his talents on the court — “when I came here as a freshman, I couldn’t shoot, but I did a lot of shooting my last two years,” Minnear said — and Coach Garrett Brown appreciated both his basketball and leadership capabilities.
“Drew was a terrific player and was an extension of having a coach on the floor for us,” Brown said. “This is a proud moment for him and his parents. I look forward to seeing him continue his career in college. We’ll miss him but once you’ve played for me you’re part of the family.”
Brown said Minnear is the seventh guard in the last six years to sign with a college team and continue his career. Two of them are from this year’s team as Gutierrez committed to Concordia University of Irvine earlier this year.
“It’s been a blast playing here,” Minnear said. “I couldn’t ask for a better experience. I played on some really good teams. I feel the coaching staff and the faculty here always steered me in the right direction, on the right path.”
Continue reading...
