Hardin Chooses A School
It didn't take long for DeVon Hardin of Northern California's Newark Memorial High School to make up his mind after visiting UC Berkeley this past weekend. The 6-foot-10 inch power forward called coach Ben Braun (who was vacationing in Mexico) late last night to inform him that he was coming to Cal.
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"Braun said we made his vacation," said DeVon's father, Michael, jokingly.
DeVon chose Cal over USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Gonzaga. A scheduled trip to UCLA for this weekend has been cancelled.
While Hardin evidently favored Cal even before his trip, his feelings were confirmed after visiting the campus. "DeVon and I were very impressed with the beautiful campus and facilities", said the elder Hardin. "DeVon spent a lot of time with the other players and students in general and was impressed by what they told him."
Michael also acknowledged the coaching staff. "The coach (Braun) played a big part in the decision," said Hardin. "We'd like to believe that the sky is the limit and with hard work, who knows? (Braun) can push and motivate DeVon to get to the next level."
The fact that Mike Blasquez, the strength coach from De La Salle, was hired to upgrade the strength and conditioning program for the Bears was also a contributing factor.
With his recruiting finally over, DeVon will pare back his summer travel schedule to focus on strength and conditioning and skill training with his personal trainer. He will compete in the Bob Gibbons and Big Time tournaments with the Oakland Soldiers in addition to the ABCD and NBA Player Development camps.
