By Cher Antido
East Los Angeles College student and basketball player Jermaine Camacho-Small revealed his scoring ability and agility to be the reasons he was recruited to play for California State University, Los Angeles Golden Eagles.
He was influenced by his father to play basketball.
His father played professional basketball when he was younger, but that wasn’t the only reason Camacho-Small started playing.
He’s had a passion for the sport since he was a kid.
He plays guard for the ELAC Huskies and will transfer to CSULA this fall.
He said he chose the school because their recruiting team did well in scouting him.
He feels like he could trust them and it allows him to stay close to home.
“CSULA even gives me an opportunity to play professional if I can perform at a high level on the court,” Camacho-Small said.
Camacho-Small doesn’t dwell on losses or bad things that happen on the court.
He plays his best and comes off strong, a tactic that has worked well for him so far.
During the South Coast Conference North Division Championship earlier this year, ELAC won the conference title, making it their fourth consecutive win.
Camacho-Small scored 31 points during its game against El Camino.
He said he started the game with an aggressive mindset.
“I made like my first 4 shots and from there on out, my teammates were looking for me coming down on offense,” he said.
The player doesn’t feel pressure while he’s playing.
He comes prepared for the worst and moves on to the next play to do better.
“Pressure isn’t in my vocabulary,” he said.
“During a close game, you don’t really get concerned if you make a mistake because you’re prepared for that moment during practice.”
Teammate Jason Cardenas said no player likes to lose and Camacho-Small is certainly no different, but he doesn’t let it affect his game.
“He’s the type of player to figure out what he could’ve done better and just focus on the next game,” Cardenas said.
With a major in business management, Camacho-Small doesn’t let his academics and play get in the way with each other.
He makes sure he puts in the same effort in academics as he does with athletics.
“I know the importance of both so I made sure I was able to put in the necessary hours for both,” he said.
Getting into CSULA is one of his proudest achievements.
Camacho-Small finds motivation from his parents and ensures his success will benefit them as well as himself.
“Definitely getting a full ride to a university so my mom doesn’t have to pay for anything and just being able to play the game I love everyday,” he said.