Former Pirates graduate from 4-year colleges
Six former Porterville College men’s basketball players graduated from their respective fouryear universities and colleges this spring. Five of the former Pirates — Tyrone Hall, Adam Armstead, Cooper Neal, Matt Zorn and Tyler Roberts — continued to play at their respective universities.
Tyrone Hall Queens College, New York
A two-time JUCO (junior college) All-american, Tyrone Hall was a standout guard for Porterville College and was named both the Rookie of the Year and Sophomore of the Year. Part of the 2014-15 class, Hall averaged 10.4 points a game and led his team in assists with 37 in his final season as a Pirate.
The Brooklyn-native returned to New York to continue his athletics and academics NCAA Division II Queens College where he majored in media study and minored in accounting, while also making an impact on the court.
Hall was also one of three recipients of the East Coast Conference’s John Smillie, Jr. Award — an award given to student-athletes who overcome personal or physical challenges during their collegiate career. At a Queens’ athletic awards banquet, ECC commissioner Dr. Robert Dranoff said, “In the summer of 2015 while preparing for the upcoming season at Queens College, he [Tyrone] was playing in a summer basketball game in the renowned West 4th summer basketball league. During a game, Hall suddenly collapsed and went into cardiac arrest. Against all odds he regained consciousness from this episode and was rushed to the hospital.”
Diagnosed with anomalous right coronary artery, Hall received immediate surgery followed by open-heart surgery. Hall was cleared prior to the 2016-17 season — his first at Queens. Over the past two seasons he played a total of 45 games where he averaged 22 minutes and 9.3 points a game.
During his senior season, Hall started in 13 of 17 games and led the East Coast Conference in free throw percentage (88.5). He was second in the ECC in threepoint field goal percentage (45.8) and third on his team in rebounding where he averaged 4.3 rebounds a game. His three-point percentage put him amongst the top 10 three-point shooters in Div. II.
Adam Armstead CSU, Maritime Academy
Also a part of the 2014-15 PC sophomore class, forward Adam Armstead was another strong player for the Pirates before moving on to NAIA Division II California State University, Maritime Academy where he played and graduated with a degree in international business and logistics.
At PC, Armstead averaged a team-high 4.8 rebounds a game and averaged 8.3 points a game.
A native of Chicago and Fresno, Armstead saw his role significantly increase at CSU Maritime as a senior when he started 15 of the team’s 29 games. He finished second for the Keelhaulers’ in rebounding (143), blocks (15) and steals (33).
Cooper Neal Fisher College, Boston Forward Cooper Neal was another member of the 2014-15 sophomore class. With the Pirates, Neal didn’t get much playing time but went 79.3 percent from the free throw line and was 39.6 percent from the field.
He transferred to NAIA Division II Fisher College where he graduated with a degree in criminal justice. Neal played two years for the Falcons and rounded out his senior season starting 28 of 29 games. As a senior, he also averaged 11.2 and 7.1 rebounds a game.
Matt Zorn Northland University, Wisconsin
Part of PC’S 2015-16 graduating class, Matt Zorn came back from a dislocated knee cap and torn medial patellofemoral ligament — the ligament that helps stabilize the knee — during his freshman season to keep playing basketball. It took three seasons, but Zorn finished his sophomore season averaging a teamhigh 6.5 rebounds a game while also contributing 5.6 points a game.
The Porterville native transferred to NCAA Division III Northland University in Ashland, Wisconsin, where he contributed in both his junior and senior season. As a senior, Zorn started all 25 games and was named to the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference’s All-defensive team. He was the team’s leading rebounder and had 12 blocks.
Zorn also averaged 7.8 points and nine rebounds a game while shooting close to 60 percent from the field and just over 60 percent from the free throw line.
He graduated with a degree in Natural Resources, Fisheries and Wildlife Ecology.
Tyler Roberts York College, Nebraska
Doubling as a guard and forward for PC during the 2015-16 season, Las Vegas-native Tyler Roberts started five of 11 games for the Pirates. He shot 80.8 percent from the free throw line and 38.2 from the field.
Roberts transferred to NAIA Division II York College in Nebraska, where he played two seasons and graduated with a degree in psychology.
Bailey Baskovich CSU, Monterey Bay
Bailey Baskovich played one season with PC during the 2015-16 school year. He averaged just 5.5 points a game but shot 47.2 percent from beyond the arc and 46.8 percent from the field as a Pirate.
Baskovich transferred to California State University, Monterey Bay but did not make the basketball team as a walk-on. However, Baskovich continued his academic career at Monterey and graduated with a degree in kinesiology.