For Leandrew Knight and the Cabrillo High School basketball team, this season is truly a family affair. Not only did Leandrew, the star guard and team captain, start the season on fire averaging 27 points a game in the 74th annual Nordhoff Tournament, he’s also the cousin of head coach C.J. Simmons.
Simmons played basketball for Cabrillo himself until he graduated in 2007. For Simmons, Cabrillo basketball has always been a family endeavor, having a father who played at Cabrillo as well as his uncles, brothers, and cousins. Knight, the latest member of the family to don the Conquistadors colors, is poised to be the best one yet.
“Leandrew is an all-around player,” Simmons said. “Leandrew can defend. Leandrew can take you off the dribble. Leandrew can shoot it from the outside. Leandrew is a special individual. It’s really special to be sitting here and coaching him and watching him grow as a young athlete. Family members always said that he would be the best out of all of us, and he is showing it with his dedication to the game and the classroom.”
Simmons said that staying dedicated to school was something he stressed as important with all of the student athletes on his team.
“I try to develop these men into being the best young men they can possibly be, and respecting everyone that they cross paths with,” Simmons said. “Don’t hold grudges, and leave the egos behind. Do what is right for your family, do what is right for yourself, and do what’s right for your community. I really try to impress that upon these kids, to be respectful, respect others, do the right thing, and good things will happen.”
Knight spent the summer playing traveling basketball for one of the top AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) basketball programs in the state, Earl Watson Elite. As a member of the high academic under-16 team, Knight was exposed to a level of competition difficult to find on the Central Coast.
“There is more talent in AAU, there are a bunch of guys that are either as good as you, or close, or even better than you,” Knight said.
“And everyone wants the same goal: to be seen by a college coach. The competition level is higher.”
Leandrew is one of the best players in the area, he said, but on his AAU team, he doesn’t even start every game. Earl Watson’s Elite program regularly sends players to college basketball powerhouses. Three of the program’s players will play basketball for the University of Arizona, Cal-Berkley, and Stanford in the fall. Knight is currently receiving interest from Boise State and Utah Valley State as well as a number of junior colleges and Division 2 schools, but Knight’s goal is to get a Division 1 offer.
This article appears in Dec 15-22, 2016.
