The Allan Hancock men’s basketball team has won 23 games in each of the last three seasons. This past year’s squad saw three of its players over the last week sign to play at four-year universities.
Kyle Harding, a freshman for the Bulldogs during the 2019-20 campaign, will continue to suit up as a Bulldog, but in Fresno State blue and cardinal red. The New York native signed to play with Fresno State University. Harding sustained a season-ending injury after playing just three games for AHC during the 2018-19 season. Harding led AHC this year in scoring with a 13.6 average.
"To my teammates, you guys were there for me every step of the way. And just the whole Hancock family: Ms. Kim and all the other staff, they make sure the athletes are good before anything else, which is kind of cool. I'm really excited to get back to California. It's kind of crazy here in New York with this virus, but I'm looking forward to getting back."
Mayowa Akinsanya, who spent the last three years in the program and sustained a season-ending injury during the 2018-19 season, signed with Maryland Eastern Shore, a division one program in the Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference (MEAC). Akinsanya was second on the team in scoring averaging 11 points per game.
"Getting to know people about family, that's the biggest thing to me. I feel like that's why Hancock was always good,” Akinsanya said. “That's why I always felt so happy being here was the family portion. Everybody was always close, everybody was always talking to each other, everybody was always keeping up with each other. I feel like we genuinely care about each other. I'm hopefully able to take that on to my next school and take that family legacy bringing my teammates closer, talking to them more, being together. And always supporting each other."
DJ Searcy spent three years in the AHC men’s basketball program. Searcy signed to play at Fresno Pacific University. Searcy averaged 7.9 points per game and was tied for the most starts during the past season (26).
"I feel like it was the right choice for me. I got to go back home and be with my family and all my friends,” Searcy, a Hoover grad and Fresno native, said. “I learned a lot being here at Hancock the past three years, basketball-wise and being a man, and dealing with my priorities. I was really happy being here, and I'm going to take what I learned here for the rest of my life.”
