Connor Sevilla Isn't Going Far (Away)

Sevilla's Mentality

6-foot Connor Sevilla possesses absolute certainty about his decision—his conviction to go with Coach Jim Les and UC Davis as his college selection is rock solid. So the Dougherty Valley High guard is now sleeping soundly. "I'm really confident with my choice of UC Davis, no doubts about it," he explained. "It's close to home, they play high level basketball and the coaching staff was transparent throughout the process."

Sevilla sums up the recruiting process as "the opportunity to choose is a blessing but not knowing (who will offer or when) is stressful all along."

But he is taking nothing for granted. "Nothing is guaranteed. I'll work my butt off to earn playing time."

Sevilla officially visited UC Davis on April 19. "We toured the campus, watched the guards work out and talked with the coaches.”

When asked what he will bring to the Aggies squad, Sevilla said, "the intangibles of being a natural leader, alongside a winning mentality and relentless work ethic. I've always had the ability to shoot the ball but now I'm more mature and can handle the ball better. I use my speed and explosiveness to create my own shot coming off screens and in attacking defenses."

Family Background

Coming from a hoops family (brothers Donovan is a junior at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts and sophomore Aidan is in the transfer portal after playing at Regis University in Denver) played a role in his immersion into basketball. "Playing with my brothers, I developed a love for the game as I found out how much fun it is."

"Because of my experience with my brothers, I knew I wanted to be a college basketball player when I was in middle school," he recalled. "In workouts and trainings, it's fun to see how we match up. They'll return home this summer and we'll see how we match up now (as compared to last summer)."

Sevilla counts being coached by Mike Hansen at Dougherty Valley High as a bonus. "Coach Hansen not only coached me but also my brothers and embodies a coach who is all about his players."

He expressed gratitude to "my parents, my brothers, my family, my friends, Coach Hansen and my teammates, who have all been extremely supportive. Joell Crawford at Infinite Training looked out for me even before I joined his program, and trainers Stevie Johnson in San Ramon and Sacramento's Trev Abraham who have each played a big role in my development."

Arriving at Davis in early August, "I'll do summer school and work out with the team."

Sevilla will major in business with no specific focus as yet.