By: Justin Donner

Sports Editor

Coach Saia is the piece that has accelerated the growth of the CSUSM men’s basketball team.

He came in with a blank canvas to work with and is the man for the job. Being handed the keys to a brand new program is special, and Saia is now in his third year of developing his vision. The opportunity to mold a new program is a big one.

“It’s very rare in this day and age for a college of this stature to not have a team,” says Saia.

He was excited by the opportunity, loves the area and felt that it was a good decision for his family.

With experience coaching for big Division I programs at UCLA and USC, Saia knows what it takes to recruit the kind of players that will win championships. He has already shown his recruitment genius by bringing players who have played at the Division I level onboard such as De’End Parker.

“We knew mutual people at UCLA and they said Coach Saia would have a good plan for me,” said Parker.

Saia admits that it’s a challenge to recruit without having a court on campus, but they still have great selling points with the school’s location.

CSUSM men’s basketball is currently ranked 12 and is exciting to watch. Saia feels that they are a great brand of basketball to watch and that they are “the best product in North County.” The team is getting better every year.

Saia feels that there is not a large amount of entertainment around campus and that he is molding a team that offers a good experience for the community.