Van Myers is attempting to rebuild the West L.A. College men's basketball program after a successful run at Jordan High School. (Photo by Gary McCarthy)
Story Created:
Jun 17, 2010 at 10:50 AM PST
Story Updated:
Jun 17, 2010 at 10:50 AM PST
Van Myers has moved on to a new challenge — head of the men’s basketball program at West L.A. College.
If his track record at his alma mater — L.A.’s Jordan High School — is an indicator, then the Wildcats’ are in for good times.
“Everything is going good, it’s a new experience,” Myers, who stepped down at the end of the prep season to take the West L.A. coaching job. “Recruiting is a new part of the job. We’re going to try and stay local. We’re trying to rebuild the program.”
West L.A. is coming off a 4-19 season in which it finished last in the Western State Conference South Division. The program has had two losing seasons in the last five years and two others when it was a combined 34-29.
Myers was unquestionably a tremendous success at Jordan.
In seven years, he directed the Bulldogs to six Eastern League titles, a 139-40 overall record and a 75-5 league mark. Over the last six years, they lost only one league game.
They were City Section Division II runners-up his first year and a Division I quarterfinalist the next when they upset Crenshaw on the road and gave powerhouse Westchester the fight of its life before falling short.
The following season, the Bulldogs had a number of victories over nationally-ranked teams such as Texas powers LBJ and Woodrow Wilson and Southern Lab from Baton Rouge, La. They moved into the top 24 in Southern California for the first time.
“Those were signature wins,” he said. “The next year we were 24-4 and made the quarters, then 22-5 the next. This past season we were 18-10 and that could have been considered a rebuilding year.”
What he’s most proud of, though, are the number of players he’s sent to the college ranks, no easy feat considering the rough neighborhood the school is situated in.
As he noted, over 20 of his former players are in college and 15 are playing college basketball. One — Tyrone Riley — is playing professionally in Europe (he’s currently in Finland and has played in Germany and Poland).
“These kids are from the Jordan Downs Projects and see things like gang violence all the time,” he said. “It’s a challenge just to walk down the street to the store.
“This (Jordan) is a beacon for L.A. It shows something good can come out of here.”
Chris Johnson, Rodney Hudson, his son Lavon, who recently signed with NAIA school Montana State-Northern in Havre, Mont., and James Boyd, playing football at USC, are some of his former players who have moved on to the next level. Another — Weber State's Franklin Session — was the Big Sky Conference newcomer of the year.
The current Jordan team had two seniors in guards Christopher Ashanti and Davian Wilson. Ashanti has drawn interest from Youngstown State, Hawaii and UC Davis. Wilson will likely start his college career at the JC level.
His top player at West L.A. is Rodney Blackmon, another Jordan product.
“He was all-conference and averaged 10 points per game,” Myers said. “He’s our top returnee and we’re looking to move him on.”
Myers has aspirations of bigger and better things, as well.
“I’m eventually hoping to coach at the university level,” he said.
“Coaching has been in my blood since I was little. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do.”
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