I ran across this article about Hewitt and a former HS teammate.
J.C. men’s basketball route different for ex-WCAL teammates
Saint Francis' Curtis Witt shoots on Junipero Serra's Lee Jones, at left, and Jake Killingsworth in the second quarter at Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 29, 2016. (Jim Gensheimer/Bay Area News Group)
Peter Hewitt and Curtis Witt parted ways after graduation in 2016, though they managed to cross paths this past men’s basketball season at the junior college level.
Except, that wasn’t the original plan for a pair of former standouts at St. Francis High in Mountain View, where they helped stake claim to back-to-back West Catholic Athletic League titles.
“They’re just working away, trying to play as long as they can,” St. Francis coach Mike Motil said. “I’ve talked to Curtis, I’ve talked to Peter, I’ve talked to all the kids about how you decide when it’s time to quit, nobody decides for you. Even kids at St. Francis that get cut from the basketball team, they get the same message.”
Hewitt is a 6-foot-10, 220-pound forward who took the long way around to Tulsa.
He originally signed to play at UC Davis, but suffered a change of heart after redshirting as a freshman during the 2016-17 campaign.
“I just wasn’t happy with how things were going there and it just wasn’t a good fit for me, so I decided to transfer,” Hewitt said. “I wanted to still play Division I basketball, so my best option was to go to a junior college first.”
Witt, a 6-2, 175-pound guard, couldn’t find a four-year home out of high school, so he enrolled at City College of San Francisco, which was fresh off a state championship.
He averaged 4.7 points as freshman for a team that lost in the semifinals of the state tournament, then returned as a sophomore to put up 8.4 points, 1.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 35.9 percent from beyond the arc and 90.9 percent from the line.
“It was a pretty humbling two years,” said Witt, who learned a lot from CCSF coach Justin Labagh, a one-time graduate assistant for Bob Knight at Texas A&M during the 2001-02 season.
A glue guy off the bench, Witt kept active on defense, moved the ball on offense, made shots whenever left open, iced the game from the free-throw line.
In the end, CCSF (33-1) avenged its playoff loss from a year ago with a 82-72 victory over San Diego City in the state final.
“It was a really competitive culture,” Witt said. “We had a lot of good players who came from a situation where they were probably the best player and sacrificed just to have your own role in a bigger picture, kind of similar to what the Warriors are doing with Kevin Durant and Steph Curry.”
follow Bay Area Preps on Flipboard.
Hewitt, ranked No. 35 in the state by ESPN out of St. Francis, would’ve been forced to sit out a year if he transferred immediately out of UC Davis to a NCAA Division I program.
Instead, he opted to play at Las Positas College in Livermore, where he averaged 10.4 points and 9.1 rebounds while shooting 57.8 percent from the floor.
“It’s very difficult because you’re on your own most of the time and you have to commute to school every day,” said Hewitt, who practiced five or six times a week beginning in September. “You’re on the court a lot compared to (NCAA) basketball, where you get days off more often. But the work isn’t as strenuous and it isn’t as hard on the body.”
The recruiting process didn’t last long, considering he was announced in November as part of the early-signing class at Tulsa.
“I took a visit and I really like the school and situation of the program,” said Hewitt, who was familiar with multiple members of the coaching staff, which was looking to fill a void in the frontcourt. “So I decided to commit early instead of wait and continue the recruitment,” Hewitt said.
It’s a different story for Witt, still in search of a four-year home while every other sophomore at CCSF had received a scholarship offer except for him.
“It’s not going how I would’ve envisioned, but I’m sure I’ll end up somewhere,” said Witt, who is considering the possibility of a walk-on spot at San Jose State. “But it’s good exposure. I think junior college basketball is starting to gain more respect from Division I, Division II coaches.”
He added: “I just need a place that is looking for somebody like me, someone who can do a lot of things not just on the floor, but for a team and the culture.”
Count Hewitt among those surprised his former teammate hasn’t been signed.
“I think he hasn’t been recruited well, but he’s a really good player with a strong work ethic,” Hewitt said. “But I think Curtis is definitely a college player at this point.”
He speaks from experience.
On Jan. 17, Witt sank 6-of-8 shots from long distance for 18 points in a 86-58 rout at Las Positas.
“It was kind of weird at first,” said Hewitt, who recorded a double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds. “But we were both excited because we don’t talk to each other as often.”
In the rematch on Feb. 9 near the end of the regular season, CCSF held on 75-71 to clinch the Coast North title.
A month later, Witt ended his J.C. career as a state champion.
“The whole experience was good, I’m happy I went the J.C. route,” Witt said. “I was a little skeptical going in thinking that J.C. basketball is not very competitive, but it actually really is. There’s a lot of good players, a lot of good coaches that work really hard at what they do. And it’s challenging to win a state championship, no matter how good your team is. You have to have the right guys who are willing to sacrifice.”
One thing Witt isn’t will to sacrifice is the two years of eligibility he’s got left to play at the next level.
Just as Motil tells his players, Witt decides when it’s time to quit, nobody decides for him.
“He always pushed us, expected more from us,” Witt said.
J.C. men’s basketball route different for ex-WCAL teammates
Saint Francis' Curtis Witt shoots on Junipero Serra's Lee Jones, at left, and Jake Killingsworth in the second quarter at Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 29, 2016. (Jim Gensheimer/Bay Area News Group)
Peter Hewitt and Curtis Witt parted ways after graduation in 2016, though they managed to cross paths this past men’s basketball season at the junior college level.
Except, that wasn’t the original plan for a pair of former standouts at St. Francis High in Mountain View, where they helped stake claim to back-to-back West Catholic Athletic League titles.
“They’re just working away, trying to play as long as they can,” St. Francis coach Mike Motil said. “I’ve talked to Curtis, I’ve talked to Peter, I’ve talked to all the kids about how you decide when it’s time to quit, nobody decides for you. Even kids at St. Francis that get cut from the basketball team, they get the same message.”
Hewitt is a 6-foot-10, 220-pound forward who took the long way around to Tulsa.
He originally signed to play at UC Davis, but suffered a change of heart after redshirting as a freshman during the 2016-17 campaign.
“I just wasn’t happy with how things were going there and it just wasn’t a good fit for me, so I decided to transfer,” Hewitt said. “I wanted to still play Division I basketball, so my best option was to go to a junior college first.”
Witt, a 6-2, 175-pound guard, couldn’t find a four-year home out of high school, so he enrolled at City College of San Francisco, which was fresh off a state championship.
He averaged 4.7 points as freshman for a team that lost in the semifinals of the state tournament, then returned as a sophomore to put up 8.4 points, 1.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 35.9 percent from beyond the arc and 90.9 percent from the line.
“It was a pretty humbling two years,” said Witt, who learned a lot from CCSF coach Justin Labagh, a one-time graduate assistant for Bob Knight at Texas A&M during the 2001-02 season.
A glue guy off the bench, Witt kept active on defense, moved the ball on offense, made shots whenever left open, iced the game from the free-throw line.
In the end, CCSF (33-1) avenged its playoff loss from a year ago with a 82-72 victory over San Diego City in the state final.
“It was a really competitive culture,” Witt said. “We had a lot of good players who came from a situation where they were probably the best player and sacrificed just to have your own role in a bigger picture, kind of similar to what the Warriors are doing with Kevin Durant and Steph Curry.”
follow Bay Area Preps on Flipboard.
Hewitt, ranked No. 35 in the state by ESPN out of St. Francis, would’ve been forced to sit out a year if he transferred immediately out of UC Davis to a NCAA Division I program.
Instead, he opted to play at Las Positas College in Livermore, where he averaged 10.4 points and 9.1 rebounds while shooting 57.8 percent from the floor.
“It’s very difficult because you’re on your own most of the time and you have to commute to school every day,” said Hewitt, who practiced five or six times a week beginning in September. “You’re on the court a lot compared to (NCAA) basketball, where you get days off more often. But the work isn’t as strenuous and it isn’t as hard on the body.”
The recruiting process didn’t last long, considering he was announced in November as part of the early-signing class at Tulsa.
“I took a visit and I really like the school and situation of the program,” said Hewitt, who was familiar with multiple members of the coaching staff, which was looking to fill a void in the frontcourt. “So I decided to commit early instead of wait and continue the recruitment,” Hewitt said.
It’s a different story for Witt, still in search of a four-year home while every other sophomore at CCSF had received a scholarship offer except for him.
“It’s not going how I would’ve envisioned, but I’m sure I’ll end up somewhere,” said Witt, who is considering the possibility of a walk-on spot at San Jose State. “But it’s good exposure. I think junior college basketball is starting to gain more respect from Division I, Division II coaches.”
He added: “I just need a place that is looking for somebody like me, someone who can do a lot of things not just on the floor, but for a team and the culture.”
Count Hewitt among those surprised his former teammate hasn’t been signed.
“I think he hasn’t been recruited well, but he’s a really good player with a strong work ethic,” Hewitt said. “But I think Curtis is definitely a college player at this point.”
He speaks from experience.
On Jan. 17, Witt sank 6-of-8 shots from long distance for 18 points in a 86-58 rout at Las Positas.
“It was kind of weird at first,” said Hewitt, who recorded a double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds. “But we were both excited because we don’t talk to each other as often.”
In the rematch on Feb. 9 near the end of the regular season, CCSF held on 75-71 to clinch the Coast North title.
A month later, Witt ended his J.C. career as a state champion.
“The whole experience was good, I’m happy I went the J.C. route,” Witt said. “I was a little skeptical going in thinking that J.C. basketball is not very competitive, but it actually really is. There’s a lot of good players, a lot of good coaches that work really hard at what they do. And it’s challenging to win a state championship, no matter how good your team is. You have to have the right guys who are willing to sacrifice.”
One thing Witt isn’t will to sacrifice is the two years of eligibility he’s got left to play at the next level.
Just as Motil tells his players, Witt decides when it’s time to quit, nobody decides for him.
“He always pushed us, expected more from us,” Witt said.
