DaMiene Boles Jr. to play hoops at Cal State-San Bernardino

A basketball player who walked on to MCC last January, has received as scholarship to continue his career at an NCAA Division II school in California.

DaMiene Boles Jr., a 6-2 guard from Dayton, Ohio signed a letter of intent Monday to continue his college basketball career at California State University in San Bernardino.

"We're excited for him, "said MCC Coach Jacob Brandl. "Cal State Bernardino was a Top 5 team in the country all year at the division II level, a national tournament team, a legendary coach and great facilities, it just checked all the boxes."

"Nobody said JUCO would be easy, but they always say it's worth it," said Boles.

He arrived in campus at semester last season as a walk on, with no scholarship, and limited playing time during the season. Mostly, he said he was just a big cheerleader for his guys last year.

"Then Coach Brandl blessed me with the opportunity to come back, put me on scholarship with the thought that I'd be able to play next year and that's what I did," Boles said. "McCook saved my life in a lot of ways."

Boles played in 10 games as a freshman and averaged 8.1 minutes a game scoring 3.5 points per game but opened his sophomore season in a big way, opening the season at home Nov. 1 against Colby scoring 26 points.

Before the 2021-2022 season, Boles said he had never played the point-guard position before.

"I always played the two, you know get it and get out of the way and let them go, but this year Coach told me you have to run, you have to be a team captain, it's more than just what you can do with the ball it's how you can make everybody else better," he said. "Without McCook that wouldn't have happened."

When the season opened at home Nov. 1 against Colby, Boles had his 'coming out party' in the words of Brandl,

"Colby was receiving votes for the Top 25, and this was the first real game he played because he came at second semester last year and really didn't play a whole lot, so he was ready in his first start," Brandl said.

Boles scored 26 points, and hit some big shots against a team with two Division I guards.

"I was jacked up, ready to go, they had a guard that was 'all-that' D1 transfer," Boles said.

Boles started 27 games for MCC and averaged 10.5 points, and 3.0 rebounds per game. He shot 39.5 percent from the field, 27.2 percent from the 3-point line, and 68.9 percent from the free-throw line.

He scored in double-digits 14 times this season, topping the 20-point total three times including a season-high 26 points against Colby in the home opener and again Jan. 21 at La Junta, Colo., against Otero Junior College. He also scored 20 points Feb. 15 at North Platte.

Boles said Cal State-Bernardino showed interest in him early in the season.

"They win and they give me the best chance to come in and win and compete for a national championship and that's the goal," he said.

The No. 2 ranked Coyotes lost to No. 3 Chico State in the semifinals of the NCAA Division II Tournament and finished with a 24-5 record. CSUSB was one of eight schools that hosted NCAA Division II tournament games this year hosting the West Regional at Coussoulis Arena.

 Fourth-year CSUSB head coach Andy Newman was named the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) West Region Coach of the Year last month.

"This is a big-time program and DaMiene is going to a team where he can win games and play right away," Brandl said. "At the Division II level when you're up there like that you're competing against the big-time D1s so this is a program where a lot is going to be expected of him and you don't get to that level of success without doing things the right way."

Boles said he going to miss McCook, his teammates, and friends.

"I'm not from a small city but there's something about a small city that everybody knows everybody and there's a sense of family everywhere you go," he said. "I'm really going to miss that."

"The biggest things for our guys is making sure they're going somewhere where they are wanted and somewhere they are needed and somewhere where they can win and play," said Brandl.