Vincent is blue gold

Gabe Vincent had a big summer for the Oakland Soldiers piling up 10 offers. After competing in the fifth annual Nor Cal Clash on Sunday, he announced that he had committed to UC Santa Barbara.

Why the Gauchos? "Mostly the coaching staff and the players and how I fit into their system," said Vincent. "Coming in I think I can be an impact player and just be able to play. I feel like I fit right into their system. They like to get out and run and shoot a lot of threes which is exactly what I do. It's a perfect fit."

Vincent had a big junior season for St. Mary's (Stockton) as he averaged 21.1 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. He went on to average 9.6 points per game while shooting 55% from three point range (37-of-67) with the Oakland Soldiers.

"The summer with the Soldiers was unbelievable," Vincent added. "It was the best experience of my life. I got to play all over the country with some of the best talent in the country against some of the best talent. That was fun and I definitely enjoyed it."

The 6-foot-2 shooting guard racked up 10 offers and ultimately narrowed his list to Pacific, Portland, and UC Santa Barbara before making his decision. He's a good athlete and a sniper from three-point range.

Santa Barbara did a nice job last season in landing Michael Bryson, a Foothill High School product who held a pair of Pac-12 offers. He averaged 8.4 points per game during his freshman season and set a school freshman record with 29 points against Pacific in the Big West Tournament. The Gauchos will be getting another knock-down shooter in Vincent.

Most recently, Vincent had 13 points for the 2014 class in a 90-89 win over the juniors. He will now look forward to his senior season.

"It's a good way to end the summer," Vincent said of the event. "You're out here with a bunch of your friends playing some hoop in all-star game and trying to get some dunks for the camera. I think it's a fun game."