Gavilan alum’s work ethic pays off in award
In Chris Shoemaker’s first season as the head coach of the men’s
basketball team at Gavilan College in 2002-2003, he had only one
returning player on the roster to build a team around. That player
was Jimmy Herrera, who played his high school ball just two years
earlier at Live Oak.
Gavilan alum’s work ethic pays off in award
In Chris Shoemaker’s first season as the head coach of the men’s basketball team at Gavilan College in 2002-2003, he had only one returning player on the roster to build a team around.
That player was Jimmy Herrera, who played his high school ball just two years earlier at Live Oak. At the time, Shoemaker remembers being impressed by Herrera’s dedication to the sport and strong work ethic on the court.
For those reasons, it was no surprise to Shoemaker when he learned that his former starting guard was named to the prestigious All-American team among Division III independents this month for his stellar play at the University of California at Santa Cruz.
“Jimmy was probably the hardest working, most diligent kid I ever coached,” said Shoemaker. “It’s so cliche but Jimmy was like a coach on the floor. He was the first guy to practice and the last one to leave. He’s the closest to maximizing his potential than anyone I ever coached.”
This season at UC Santa Cruz, Herrera showed that potential by averaging 15.5 points a game and shooting 83 percent from the free-throw line. In his final game of the season, the senior guard ended his collegiate career with 31 points against Colorado College in the NCAA Division III Western Regional.
“I expected something like that to happen for Jimmy,” said Shoemaker. “I didn’t recruit him here from Live Oak but he was a great player for us.”
While the All-American honor is Herrera’s greatest achievement on the court, success is not new for the former Ram.
In December 2005, he received the Association of Division III Independents men’s basketball Player of the Week award. That week Herrera averaged 19 points per game, shot 55 percent from the field, was 64 percent from three-point territory, and a perfect 100 percent from the free throw line. He also averaged 3.5 assists and three steals a game that week.
In a win over Cal State Maritime (73-62), Herrera led all scorers with 23 points. For the game, he shot 7-10 from the field, all of which were three-pointers, and dished out four assists. He also added 15 points, including 7-7 from the free throw line, in a 58-85 loss to Holy Names.
A native of Morgan Hill, Herrera played for the Rams during the 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 seasons and was voted as an Honorable Mention in the Coast Conference both years.
He received his associate of arts degree in liberal arts, transferring to UC Santa Cruz as the recipient of the prestigious Karl S. Pister Leadership Opportunity Award Scholarship in 2003, where he is currently a biology major.
