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Second Team
Sejdo Kaharevic, So., guard, Tyee
Richard Nguyen, Jr., guard, Evergreen
Dabreon Waters-Mitchell, Jr., guard, Renton
Keannu Royster, Jr., guard, Kennedy Catholic
Camet Soe, Jr., guard, FosterLast edited by DarknessFalls; 07-27-2016, 06:47 PM.Comment
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Kevin Duong
Height: 198cm/6'6"
Hometown: Montreal, QC (Canada)
Team: Dalhousie Tigers (Atlantic University Sports)
Last edited by DarknessFalls; 07-27-2016, 07:23 PM.Comment
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I am currently following VBA preseason games. So happy they broadcast preseason games in youtube.
Vietnam fans are showing up in these games. The league will be great. I am now a fan of Cantho Catfish with their Cantho Greenie Cheerleaders.hehe.Players are pretty good too.The message you have entered is too short. Please lengthen your message to at least 5 characters.Comment
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Ben Nguyen
UC Merced
5'11" Guard
Kevin Pham
Head Coach of UC Merced
The second coach in UC Merced men's basketball history is a familiar face to the department. Kevin Pham who has been with UC Merced for the past three years, previously as the Head Women's Basketball Coach and fresh off the first California Pacific Conference Tournament Championship in school history will now take the reins of the men's program for the 2015-16 season.
Pham was instrumental in the progression of the UC Merced women's basketball program at UC Merced as he developed the foundation starting in their 2012-13 inaugural season. In three years at the helm, Pham accumulated an impressive resume as he increased the teams record each season, most recently with a 14-12 overall record (5-5 Cal Pac) in 2014-15. This last season was topped off with a California Pacific Conference Tournament Championship as they defeated #15 nationally ranked Menlo College in the Cal Pac semi finals and secured a trip to the NAIA National Tournament with a win in the championship game.
With only two recruiting classes in his three years with the women's program Pham's development of talent has been highlighted by numerous conference honors including two Freshman of the Year, one Newcomer of the Year, three First Team All-Conference, Four Second Team All-Conference, three Honorable Mention All-Conference and three Player of the Week honorees. Additionally two student-athletes were honored as Daktronics-NAIA Division II Women's Basketball Scholar-Athletes this past season.
Pham, a graduate in Economics from UC Berkeley and a Sacramento, Calif. native, brings his basketball knowledge, passion, strong organizational skills, and successful coaching experience to a men's program that is looking to build a strong foundation moving forward.
Prior to UC Merced, Pham served five years as the Assistant Head Coach for Cosumnes River College (Sacramento, CA) where his main responsibilities included recruiting, practice planning, on-court training, as well as scouting and game preparation. During Pham's tenure at CRC, the Lady Hawks moved up from last place in conference to achieve three winning seasons, earned back-to-back California College Athletic Association state tournament appearances, and were ranked as high as 5th in Northern California and 14th in the state.
Prior to joining the CRC coaching staff, Coach Pham spent two seasons as a student assistant at the University of California, Berkeley. At Cal, Pham gained valuable experience working with and developing the guard positions.
Coach Pham also spent one season as an assistant varsity coach at Sacramento Waldorf High School. At Waldorf, the team compiled a 19-10 record and advanced to the San-Joaquin section semifinal playoff game.
Known for his passion and knowledge of the game, Pham has worked at some of the nation's top basketball camps including those at Cal, Texas A&M, Texas, North Carolina, Notre Dame and Villanova. Coach Pham was also the subject of a published article for SLAM Magazine
by Rudy Raya / @rudy_raya
When Kevin Pham walked into Sociology 300 for the first time this semester, he really didn’t know what to expect, but he knew it was something he needed to do.
Having already received his Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley, this would be the first time Pham had attended a college class in almost 10 years.
He scanned the room of strange faces, swam through a swarm of students and desks, and eventually found a seat right next to the young woman he had been looking for.
No, this isn’t his friend, it isn’t his daughter, and it isn’t his classmate.
This is his point guard. He is her basketball coach. Assistant head coach Kevin Pham, to be exact.
When the starting point guard for the Cosumnes River College women’s basketball team was having trouble keeping up and making it to class on a regular basis, Coach Kevin, as he’s fondly referred to, had to blow the whistle on his young player.
“It became more than just basketball,” said Pham. “It was more about teaching her how to be accountable and responsible for her actions. I wanted her to understand how important it is to go to class, so I made the effort to attend class with her every Tuesday and Thursday.”
Attending class with struggling players normally wouldn’t be considered a regular coaching duty, but then again, Pham isn’t a regular coach.
This past summer, Pham left his job as a senior consultant at Accenture, the largest consulting firm in the world, to pursue coaching and to become the full-time, assistant head coach for the women’s basketball team at CRC.
He admits that his decision to quit his job in favor of coaching women’s basketball is a bit questionable, especially in this economy, but for Pham, it was about more than just making money.
“It was definitely a hard decision; my mom even questioned it,” said Pham. “But you have to invest a lot of time, you have to be committed, you have to have the right attitude, and you have to make some sacrifices—I won’t even say it was a sacrifice; it was something I needed to do.
“I felt like if I really wanted to be successful at coaching, I needed to make that commitment.”
As a small community college located in Sacramento, Ca, CRC has never been a powerhouse program in the world of college sports, let alone in their own division. Before Pham came to CRC, the program’s best record since joining the Big 8 Conference in 2005 was 10-22.
“We weren’t the most talented team at that time, but we had a group of young women that worked hard and loved to play the game,” said Pham. “We knew that if we kept that going for us, the wins would come eventually.”
In the following season, Pham was promoted to assistant head coach, where his duties would consist of studying game film, developing practice plans and recruiting players from local high schools. He began stressing fundamentals, instilling defensive schemes and taking a more hands-on approach with the team.
The Hawks would undergo a significant turnaround that year, ending the season at 21-12, just short of playoff contention.
After several more successful seasons, the Hawks finally made the playoffs last year for the first time in school history. As the 14th seed in the playoff bracket, the Hawks took on the third ranked team in the state, but came up short in the waning moments of the second half.
“We learned a lot from our first taste of playoff experience,” said Pham. “It definitely exposed some of our flaws, but it also showed us what we needed to work on to become a better team.”
During the summer of 2010, after spending four years coaching the CRC women’s team, Pham decided to test the coaching waters at the next level and began filling out applications at a number of universities.
Pham filled out 53 applications for anything and everything, jobs ranging from assistant coach, to video coordinator, to high school scout.
As fate would have it, Pham was also met with 53 rejection emails.
But instead of giving up, he decided to take a different route.
“I started to try to build a network by working basketball camps. I knew that if I did it with enthusiasm and passion, these schools would see that I have the qualities that can really help a program.”
Pham began contacting colleges, and over the course of two summers, he began traveling and volunteering at basketball camps with some of the biggest women’s programs in the country: University of Texas, University of North Carolina, Texas A&M, Villanova, Notre Dame and his alma mater, UC Berkeley.
“He’s grown a lot since his first year,” said Coral Sage, head coach of the woman’s basketball team at CRC. “He’s gone to a lot of clinics, he’s done a lot of camps, and that’s just helped him grow.
“I know he has big dreams to coach at a next level, and I think whatever he sets his mind to, I believe he’s going to attain. He’s just that driven and that determined.”
With a record of 7-3, the Cosumnes River College Lady Hawks are currently the sixth ranked team in Northern California and are looking to making to make a strong push going into the second half of the season.
Pham knows that the path ahead of him isn’t going to be easy, but his desire to coach and be successful is unquestionable.
“Sure there are a lot of questions about me quitting my job. I have no health insurance, no income and no real sense of stability, but you have to take a chance.
“To me, it’s not a risk. It’s me pursuing something that I really love to do. And because I have that passion for it, I want it more than ever.”Last edited by DarknessFalls; 07-27-2016, 07:27 PM.Comment
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Stefan Truong (Germany)
Height: 182cm/6'0"
Position: Point Guard
Team: Elchingen Pro-B(2014-2015)
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6'4" (Stefan) Nguyen Tuan Tu - Saigon Heat Highlights
Last edited by DarknessFalls; 07-27-2016, 10:57 PM.Comment
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Jason Tran
6'3"
Cypress College (2013-2014)
Hometown: Fort Collins, CO
2012 High school Highlights:
Last edited by DarknessFalls; 07-28-2016, 01:06 AM.Comment
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Im excited for vietnam hoops! I think with this new domestic league they could be on the same level as their SEA neighbours
in the distant future..Comment
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Dunkan Nguyen?
Probably in a few years, he's only in grade 7We The NorthComment
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you should see their preseason games.Originally posted by bballcrazy View PostThe message you have entered is too short. Please lengthen your message to at least 5 characters.Comment
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For scouting purposes, it's better to get dual-citizenship by 16 for FIBA, and that would open up more options to play basketball.Originally posted by locdogjr View Post
So the sooner, the better especially if he's showing he can already play in Grade 7.
Any young talent that can be found around the world would be beneficial for future basketball considerations, especially in FIBA competitions.
Just ask the Philippines how crucial that is.Last edited by DarknessFalls; 07-28-2016, 07:23 AM.Comment
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Billy Nguyen (#12)
193cm/6'4"
Orange Coast College (2012-2013)
High School: El Toro
Last edited by DarknessFalls; 07-28-2016, 09:47 PM.Comment
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Tylor Trinh
183cm/ 6'0"
School: Monarch High School (Louisville, CO)
AAU: Colorado Chaos
All-Tournament Team
Tyson Gilbert, Colorado Chaos
Deon Barfield, Billups Elite
Xavier Cooper, Colorado Miners
Tray Pierce, Colorado Connect
John Harge, Billups Elite
Sam Ingoli, Iowa Elite
Tylor Trinh, Colorado Chaos
Mue Muwwakkil, Colorado Miners
Jonny Waggonner, Iowa Elite
Davis Kang, Colorado Titans
Last edited by DarknessFalls; 07-28-2016, 11:20 PM.Comment
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