Dent-Smith, Prinze, Gipson declare college choices
Jeremy Dent-Smith was a fixture in the Serra boys basketball program for several seasons.
He finished his career this past winter with 1,258 points and averaged 18 points per game as a senior.
He is moving on to the next step in his career, and it will be at Cal State Dominguez Hills.
At a signing day ceremony Monday on the Serra campus, Dent-Smith was joined by Serra baseball player Delton Prinze II (CSDH) and basketball player Amir “Duke” Gipson (William Jessup University) as all three athletes made their college decisions official.
“It's kind of sad to be leaving the Serra family, but happy to see what's ahead for me,” Dent-Smith said. “Coach (Steve) Becker has been on me since my freshman year, and just seeing his consistency and how he treats his players, it felt like a really good program to go to. Somewhere I can thrive and become better as a player.
“My game is probably a pure point guard role. Being able to do whatever, lead, give it to my teammates, score, just being the person I know I can be and be myself throughout college.”
Dent-Smith helped lead Serra to the CIF Southern Section Division 2AA quarterfinals in the 2021-22 season. He was a firstteam All-CIF selection and was a two-time Daily Breeze first-team honoree.
“I just want to go there with the mindset that I need to earn my spot,” he said. “Nothing is guaranteed, so just battling against everybody every day is what I plan to do.
“I just want to prove myself that I'm here.”
Prinze heading to CS Dominguez Hills
JSerra baseball player Delton Prinze II, who recently was selected the Del Rey League pitcher of the year, also officially signed with CS Dominguez Hills.
“When I talked to the coach, I felt really connected,” Prinze said. “Instant connection, and I like how things are run. They were the school that really offered me. I got a little tired of waiting.
“I wasn't really worried about DI, DII or juco, DIII, I just wanted to play somewhere and they (Dominguez Hills) gave me an opportunity and I took it.”
This season, Prinze went 4-1 with a save in league games. He struck out 31, walked eight and allowed only eight hits. He also played the outfield.
He said his future will be on the mound at Dominguez Hills.
“That's where I'm going to be focusing on this summer,” he said.
Gipson makes it official
JSerra boys basketball player Amir “Duke” Gipson signed with
William Jessup University, an NAIA school located in Rocklin.
Gipson said he also had volleyball interest from colleges, but he decided to stick to basketball.
“I think it's a great school for me to go to,” Gipson said. “They're going DII in about a year, so hopefully I can make my mark there.
“I need to be able to space the floor because there will be guys bigger than me. I obviously have to keep my defensive presence.”