Solano’s Sran looking at four-year colleges
Solano guard won’t have benefit of a sophomore season with Falcons
The prototypical freshman who excels in the Solano Community College women’s basketball program tends to be a star by their sophomore season.
That could have been St. Patrick- St. Vincent High grad Ashmeen Sran.
Sran averaged 11.9 points, drained 50 3-pointers and averaged 2.2 assists per game for a team that went 16-9 overall last year.
Unfortunately for Sran and the Falcons, Solano chose to “opt out” of several sports for 2021 — including women’s basketball — due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“It was definitely disappointing,” Sran said about not being able to play her sophomore season this winter or spring. “In the first year, I was still learning a lot of things, but I had made a lot of changes. I wasn’t able to show that on the court.”
Sran, 20, listed a number of aspects of her game that she improved.
“I think my ball handling is much better, and I’m more comfortable playing the point guard position,” she said. “I’ve been a good outside shooter but I think I improved my mid-range shot. I’m also attacking the basket a lot more.”
Solano head coach Matt Borchert said he has two or three sophomores who will return for their second season next school year, but he said that Sran is ready to move onto the four-year level.
“We’ve already started the process for her,” Borchert said. “Ashmeen is phenomenal academically. She is a 4.0 GPA student and was academic all-state. She’s one
of the best students we’ve ever had in the program.”
Sran said she prefers to attend college somewhere on the West Coast, possibly somewhere like Sacramento State, Chico State, Dominican or Pacif ic Union. She is a nursing major although she is open to something like biology as a focus of her studies too. Sran said she would consider a school in the other parts of the country too, depending on the offer.
There are some unknowns about the rosters at four-year schools because of the pandemic. Many Division I schools are currently playing women’s basketball but others are in delay, meaning that players may receive another year of eligibility.
Borcher t sa id even though Solano won’t have a season, the process for getting a player to a fouryear college is not that much different than in past years. He said schools frequently check in with him about players and he reaches out to others. Solano subscribes to Synergy Sports Technology, which offers any college film on a player.
“We have highlight tapes too but most colleges want to look at a whole game,” Borchert said.
Sran was born in Surrey, Canada but the family moved to Vallejo in the year 2000 as her mother’s family already lived in town. She began playing basketball at age 9 and starred at St. Pat’s as the Bruins won the North Coast Section championship in 2018-19.
Even though Solano did not meet in person during the fall for workouts, they did go over techniques during Zoom calls. Sran said she’s been working out at home and staying in basketball shape.
“My dad has really helped me with equipment and I have a hoop at home,” she said. “Gyms aren’t open but we have weight lifting stuff here too.”
Sran said she has mixed feelings about being in a hospital during these times when ICUs are at near full capacity. But she is looking at the positive side of it.
“It could be a great opportunity for me since hospitals are so short staffed and they really need nurses,” she said.
Borchert said he doesn’t see many issues with getting Sran to a solid fouryear college that also offers her a basketball scholarship. He said Solano’s Sophomore Showcase won’t be held this offseason due to COVID, but the other timetables are similar. He said traditionally many community college players sign in between April and June.
“She brings a lot to the table,” he said. “I think someone who has done as well as Ash will impress a four-year program.”