Catching up with Keenan

Keenan Prince went from being a Marysville High basketball star to nearly getting red-shirted at his fall-back school.

For the former Appeal-Democrat Player of the Year, the transition from high school to the community college ranks simply wasn't smooth.

"He was struggling and we were close to red-shirting him," said Yuba College head coach Doug Cornelius. "He played in a couple of summer tournaments and didn't do great. He wasn't there yet."

Coach Cornelius admits that every freshman, regardless of talent, goes through a slump, but for Prince's hiccups to occur right from the get-go was discouraging for both parties.

But then he figured it out.

"It was difficult, but I told myself, 'I'm not going to give up,'" Prince said. "So I noticed that when I started getting up early in the morning to shoot hoops in front of my house, I was practicing better."

And that led Prince from being picked nearly last in almost every scrimmage to being picked nearly first every time.

"It was probably about the beginning of October, when for about three or four weeks, I don't think he missed more than five shots," Cornelius said. "He's going to be a good player."

Now, instead of battling for a roster spot, Prince is battling for a starting spot with the 49ers (13-8), and coach Cornelius attributes that to his guards' work ethic.

"That's the difference between him and most freshmen, Keenan works," he said. "He goes to the weight room, he's always shooting. He's doing it the right way — he puts in work — other kids just hope the slump goes away, but he demands it away. If he has to put in more shots and more time, he'll do it."

These days Prince is focused on putting together consistent halves.

"I get mad at myself because it seems like I only play good for one half," Prince said. "I'm just trying to put two halves together." Although Prince scored a career-high 25 points against Shasta earlier this season, 22 of those came in a single half.

His play has been no different from the rest of the 49ers this season — Yuba College's biggest downfall thus far has been overall consistency.

After scoring just 20 points in the first half against Napa Valley at home on Friday, the 49ers scored 18 points in the first six minutes of the second half, ultimately losing 74-67.

Prince has also had difficulty adjusting to a team where he's not necessarily the go-to guy each and every night.

"At Marysville, I knew when to take my shots and when not to, because my team needed me to score. At Yuba, everyone can score," he said. He also credited sophomore teammate Derrick Brown for helping him along.

"He's always there to help with plays and any questions I have," Prince said about Brown.

"I think he's real close to turning a corner," Cornelius said of Prince. "He just has to learn how the offense can work for him."

When Prince visited Boise, Ida. to watch his friend Isaiah Frey, of Olivehurst, play in the Humanitarian Bowl game a few weeks ago — Yuba College's sparkplug was re-ignited.

"Just being there with all of those people, that's what I want. I want to play at a Division I school so bad," Prince said. "I just know I have to continue to work hard."

The Yuba College men will host Solano on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.