On the fast track
January 18, 2016
Jojuan Carrington is setting a high standard with the Diablo Valley women's basketball team.
A versatile freshman who's on track to transfer to a four-year program next season, Carrington is averaging 16.8 points and 11.0 rebounds a game in the Big 8 Conference for the Vikings (14-5, 3-1).
In a thrilling 68-67 win over Santa Rosa on Jan. 12, Carrington had a game-high 26 points to go with nine rebounds. She was 10 for 16 from the floor and 5 for 5 from the free throw line.
Moreover, she's doing it all with a touch of class on a team in transition.
"She's a really nice kid. Family has done a great job," DVC coach Ramaundo Vaughn said.
The 6-foot-1 Carrington, who helped Dublin High to its first North Coast Section title since 1988 last season and a NorCal Division II runner-up finish, is still weighing her options for the four-year level.
"It's very open right now. I'm just getting a feel for different schools," she said.
The schools are lining up.
Grand Canyon University (Phoenix, Ariz.), Hawaii, Fresno State and UNLV have all come out to see her, and Gonzaga called last week. A bunch of Division II schools have also inquired.
"She will end up at a nice school and pay zero to be there," Vaughn said.
A model of consistency throughout her four-year high school career, Carrington averaged 10.9 points and 9.1 records as a Dublin senior.
She's taken it up a notch this year, fine-tuning her skills and becoming even more of a scoring threat.
"My senior year I had to be a leader on the floor, and so that basically prepared me mentally to be able to play in different situations," Carrington said recently. "The previous year we weren't as good, and so when we finally got to our senior year and we were doing extremely well, it taught me how to play at a higher level, so that really helps."
Carrington, averaging 14.6 points and 9.6 rebounds overall, and teammate Brandy Williams (11.5 ppg., 8.5 rpg) have formed a dominating one-two punch in the paint and in transition this season.
Carrington says she draws her playing style from a variety of sources.
"I've played around a lot of different good basketball players, so I think I just take little things from everyone," she said, "but for the most part I just try to be the best person myself and try to get better every day."
Clearly, her family has had a lot to cheer about this season. Her mom, Mercedes, and younger sister Layla, a sixth-grader and volleyball player, attend all of her games.
"My biggest supporters are my mom and my little sister, but I get a lot of support from everyone in my family," she said.
SEASON UPDATE
The DVC men's and women's basketball teams will both host Sacramento City Tuesday evening, looking to rebound from defeats at Sierra on Jan. 15.
The Vikings men (10-8, 2-2) will face a Panthers team (10-8, 2-2) coming off a 79-74 win over Delta. The Panthers beat Sierra by 13 points on Jan. 5.
The Sac City women's team (15-4, 3-1) is riding a three-game winning streak.