Add another: David Ahern

It looks like another new face on the bench this fall... Welcome aboard, David! He seems like a great addition to the team, as a walk-on Freshman.

From NorCalPreps.com:

Ahern to rain purple treys

Marin Catholic's David Ahern pondered his recruiting options, ranging across the spectrum from D-1 to D-3 and finally decided to go with playing in the West Coast Conference.

The Marin County Athletic League Player of the Year as well as the Marin Independent Journal Player of the Year, the 6-foot Ahern has accepted a walk-on position with Coach Eric Reveno and the Portland Pilots. Well known for his summer and non-basketball season workout routines, Ahern attracted interest by averaging 21.1 points per game this season (up 7.5 from the previous year) and with a high of 37, playing for Coach Mike Saia.

So why the Rose City?

"I loved the coaching staff -- Coach Reveno is a class act as are Coach Wolf and Coach Sobotka -- and I felt I could learn a lot from them," Ahern related. "The players were easy to get along with, there is a great emphasis on player development and it's a place I think I can thrive."

As to what the purple-clad Pilot fans will see from Ahern in the Chiles Center next season, he said, "Ballhandling, fiery competitiveness, lockup defense, playmaking, just helping in any way I can."

Ahern is looking to major in either business administration or economics and is hoping there will be internship possibilities with Nike being nearby.

Also, road games at St. Mary's, Santa Clara and USF will provide ample homecoming opportunities for family and friends to attend games.

A very young Pilot squad finished 3-13, 7-24 last season but went 7-7 and 20-12, 10-4 and 21-11 plus 9-5 and 19-13 working backwards in the previous three go-arounds.

Ahern offered specific reasons for listing the individuals he wish to thank for helping him along the way.

"First and foremost, I thank my parents, my Dad in particular for the long hours he worked with me in the gym, Coach Saia for developing me as a player and helping with my recruitment because I wouldn't have had as many opportunities without him, Assistant Coach John Starret for helping me come out of my shell and take more of a leadership and floor general role, Jeremy Russotti whose skill work made me so much better between my junior and senior seasons and Rick Villarreal, my physical trainer who helped me become stronger and more explosive."

Reveno must like northern California basketball because he signed 6-foot-4 Jesuit High backcourter Bryce Pressley in late April.

Rumor has it that the coaching staff believes David is the rare type of walk-on that will be able to compete for minutes and could significantly contribute... and having another experienced PG on the bench doesnt hurt, either. Rumor also has it that David was beginning to draw some D-I scholarship interest, but still chose to walk-on at UP due to the coaches, the players, and the school/academics.

I love the thanks he gives to those who have helped him develop, and the fact that he also has academic aspirations. David seems like a great addition to the UP community!

I saw Ahern play when he was a high school junior and was very impressed by his hard work, speed, and skill, but knew he was way too slight/skinny and not physical enough for D-1. Looked like a good D-3 player when I saw him in the fall of 2010.

Very pleased to have a kid like David join the team. I know he can shoot, and I know he's good in the classroom, and it would appear he's a very good teammate -- so, a great additon!

BTW - this is how Sherrard Watson started out; he was a recruited walk-on who eventually earned a scholarship and eventually became a team leader.

DoubleDipper wrote:...hard work, speed, and skill, but knew he was way too slight/skinny and not physical enough for D-1.

Sounds like another David who's already on the roster!

It is a good sign for the program that there are kids like this choosing to come to UP even without a scholarship. I wonder if Ahern was perhaps the back-up plan for that last scholarship, had Reinfelds decided to go elsewhere.

With Pressley and now Ahern, look's like Rev's old Northern California connections are paying off.

Ahern seems like a type pfplayers that students and fans are going to be attracted to and become a local favorite
Hers hoping that the whole experience will be great for him and for UP

wrv wrote:With a GPA of over 4.0, Ahern has the Ivy League, Sonoma State and Division III schools on watch and for good reason.

Hmm, wow, D-3 and Sonoma State.

wrv, could you state your source for this article? Nice article, but everything mentioned about David's summer plans may have taken a turn if he is to spend time with his new UP teammates this summer.

wrv wrote:Same source as the previously posted article: NorcalPreps--I haven't checked but you may find it on Yahoo if you find the player page for Ahern.

The article is from the summer of 2011--last I checked the Ivy league is D1, so not altogether a D3 prospect . . .his GPA is quite impressive.

That's cool, the article just seemed very dated to me.

Yes, the Ivy is D-1, but unlike most D-1 athletic conferences, the Ivy League prohibits the granting of athletic scholarships; all scholarships awarded are need-based and it takes a mighty fine GPA to get in.

My roommate for awhile back in the ‘60s was a Princeton basketball player, a Rhodes Scholar, and also played for the Knicks. Oh, and then became a US senator So, yes there are good players in the Ivy League, but not like there once were before many non-Ivy schools starting recruiting heavily, offering athletic scholarships, and lowering their academic standards.

DoubleDipper wrote:Laatikko ulos!?? I used to fly with a Finnish co-pilot, but nothing he taught me is repeatable here.

DoubleDipper wrote:My roommate for awhile back in the ‘60s was a Princeton basketball player, a Rhodes Scholar, and also played for the Knicks. Oh, and then became a US senator So, yes there are good players in the Ivy League, but not like there once were before many non-Ivy schools starting recruiting heavily, offering athletic scholarships, and lowering their academic standards.

Hmmm, I'm getting a bit of a Forrest Gump vibe here.

up7587 wrote:Hmmm, I'm getting a bit of a Forrest Gump vibe here.

Well, I once met President Nixon in San Antonio, but even though I lived in Alabama for awhile, I never met Bear Bryant! My time rooming with Bill Bradley was in Amarillo when we were both Air Force lieutenants -- he was an Air Force Reservist going through personnel officer school after studying at Oxford and prior to joining the Knicks.

That’s the thing about living a long time in many parts of the world -- experiences happen. But the boxes of chocolates are now few and far between.

wrv wrote:Regarding Ahern, the relevance of his academic performance is that he may well have sufficient scholarship money that his attendance at the University of Portland is affordable . . .he may not need an athletic scholarship.

Let's see how he competes on the court.

Oh, I think there's no doubt he'll get some assistance and be very competitive on the court, and off!

Official UP release

Point Guard David Ahern Signs with Portland

PORTLAND, Ore. --- Point guard David Ahern, the reigning Marin County Athletic League and Marin Independent Journal Player of the Year from Marin Catholic High School (Novato, Calif.), will join the University of Portland basketball team as a member of the 2012 recruiting class, Pilots head coach Eric Reveno announced on Tuesday.

“David will be a great fit as part of the Pilot Basketball family,” Reveno said. “Like all of our recruits in this class, he has a great feel for the game and a strong desire to be the best he can be. He showed great growth from his junior to senior season in high school under coach Mike Saia and we think he can continue that improving trend here at Portland. He is a smart kid, with good point guard skills that will make our program better.”

Ahern joins three other incoming freshmen that have signed National Letters of Intent with Portland: forward Jake Ehlers, a two-time Oregon 5A Player of the Year and state champion at Corvallis HS; guard Bryce Pressley, who led Jesuit HS in Sacramento, Calif. to the CIF NorCal Division I Finals after averaging 14.1 points and 8.0 rebounds; and combo guard Oskars Reinfelds, a member of the Latvian U-18 National Team and standout for the Canarias Basketball Academy in Spain.

Ahern (6-0, 180) is another Reveno recruit with a winning pedigree, having led Marin Catholic to a 22-7 record and the second round of the CIF North Coast Section tournament as a senior. He averaged 21.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. Ahern was also named tournament MVP of the Redwood Empire Invitational (Healdsburg, Calif.) and Bambauer Memorial tournaments, leading Marin Catholic to both tournament titles. The San Francisco Chronicle twice named Ahern to the All-Metro Team.

As a junior, Ahern averaged 13.6 points and was named first team All-Marin County Athletic League as the team finished 20-12 overall and advanced to the semifinals of the CIF North Coast Section Division IV Championships and the first round of CIF NorCal Division IV Championships.

“David is a tireless worker,” said Mike Saia, Marin Catholic head coach. “He likes to be in the gym and the weight room. David was always the first guy in the gym and the last guy to leave. The effort that coach Reveno made and the relationship they were able to develop played a big part in David’s decision to walk on. He is a great kid and will be a welcome addition to UP program.”

This class is a bit on the understated side, but it is really shaping up with all kinds of "sleeper" potential. I'm excited to see how they plug gaps with the current squad and grow over the years!

Highly unusual to have a press-release for a walk-on; it speaks highly of Rev's opinion of the young man.

I think we may see a redshirt, or two, like at other WCC schools, although that hasn't been UP's way in the past

If the returning Jrs. learned last year what it takes to succeed in Div. 1
this group of recruits could give us a great bench amnd provide considerable energy to tjhe rest of the team.
Theres talent there ,but thatwill have to adapt to the faster part of the game.

,

upsailor wrote:If the returning Jrs. learned last year what it takes to succeed in Div. 1
this group of recruits could give us a great bench amnd provide considerable energy to tjhe rest of the team.
Theres talent there ,but thatwill have to adapt to the faster part of the game.

You're right, sailor. I think we've got some returning players who will now (have to) take it to another level, or see reduced playing time -- and face it, everyone wants more, not less!

DoubleDipper wrote:

upsailor wrote:If the returning Jrs. learned last year what it takes to succeed in Div. 1
this group of recruits could give us a great bench amnd provide considerable energy to tjhe rest of the team.
Theres talent there ,but thatwill have to adapt to the faster part of the game.

You're right, sailor. I think we've got some returning players who will now (have to) take it to another level, or see reduced playing time -- and face it, everyone wants more, not less!

DD, who were you thinking about? Or maybe a better way to ask would be what positions/players do you see competing for those minutes when you wrote that?

Sounds like a great freshman foundation being built by Rev, it will be exciting to see how the team comes together for this coming season.

Well I'd say aside from Nicholas and Bailey (and at what position they actually play is still up in the air as well), pretty much everyone else's spot on the starting rotation and minutes are up for grabs... The guard positions are open and I could see there being a healthy competition between VDM and Barker for the starting spot at the 5.

My main questions:
Will Cason improve with a summer of conditioning to justify more PT? (If we are going to be competitive, he needs to improve to give us depth)
Do any of the freshmen merit immediate large roles? (I'm assuming Reinfelds and Ehlers are the most likely to be part of the rotation immediately)
Will some red shirt?
Will ANYONE be able to legitimately stretch shooting to the perimeter with consistency?

This is going to be a VERY interesting year to follow the team...

DaTruRochin wrote:
My main questions:
Will Cason improve with a summer of conditioning to justify more PT? (If we are going to be competitive, he needs to improve to give us depth)
Do any of the freshmen merit immediate large roles? (I'm assuming Reinfelds and Ehlers are the most likely to be part of the rotation immediately)
Will some red shirt?
Will ANYONE be able to legitimately stretch shooting to the perimeter with consistency?

In response to DTR's ?s:
1. Cason had better improve, because I expect Ehlers will challenge him for playing time at the 3/4 position. My impression from the scouting reports is that Ehlers is a better mid-range/outside shooter than Cason.
2. Reinfelds will be going head-to-head with Rodgers and Carr for the starting PG spot. If the hype is to be believed Reinfelds sounds like the more of a well-rounded true PG (better offense than Rodgers, more of a floor general/ball handler than Carr). I think Ehlers will be on the floor a lot.
3. I would expect Aherns to redshirt, unless he proves to be a phenomenal three-point shooter. Aside from that, I'm not sure he adds another dimension beyond what Carr/Riley/Reinfelds/Rodgers can offer. I wouldn't be surprised if Pressley were a redshirt candidate as well.
4. We have three returning guys on the roster who were mediocre 3-pt shooters last year (Bailey, Riley, Carr). At least one of them needs to step up and become a consistent threat. It doesn't sound like any of the incoming guys is known as an outside shooting specialist, though perhaps one of them will surprise us.

oldtimer wrote:DD, who were you thinking about? Or maybe a better way to ask would be what positions/players do you see competing for those minutes when you wrote that?

Sounds like a great freshman foundation being built by Rev, it will be exciting to see how the team comes together for this coming season.

……….I hadn’t really had a specific thought before making that statement; it was a generalization, but I’ll try. First, let me say I’m a fan, not an expert…..

The eight months between freshman and sophomore year, often a year longer for a big man, are generally the biggest leap in a player’s strength, conditioning, and skill for the general UP recruit. So we could see an improvement in on-court minutes for some of our returning players, but for others it could mean more “pine” if they don’t show marked improvement.

The Pushed:

Korey: Probably the most athletic member of the squad, but he needs to PLAY to get into the rhythm. He’s really going to have to make tremendous strides in practice to avoid being overshadowed by the new guys.

Derrick: He’d better be working on his shooting! He’s got great strength, senior leadership, can go to the hoop, and generally lock down an opponent, but as he’s NO offensive threat from outside, the opposition can basically play 5 on 4 against us – often shutting down our offense. I see less on-court time for him, but hope I’m wrong.

Tanner: After a terrific first three games his freshman year that had me saying, “Nik who?” he just hasn’t gotten going. A streaky shooter, he needs to show consistency to get more minutes. But he’s tough and competitive, and I still believe he can produce.

Dorian: He should be much improved physically and technically after a year of coaching and sweating; if not, he could find a freshman eager to take his minutes.

David: He’ll be fine, and he’ll play. The speed and physicality of the D-1 game was a bit of a test for him as a freshman, but he’s tough and will adapt and score. I have no idea what the numbers say, but he reminded me of Jared as a freshman.

The Pushers:

First let me say I’m generally a proponent of redshirting freshman so they can grow and adapt to the speed and physical play of D-1.

Oskars: he can be good enough to not only compete, but start during his freshman year – I expect it!

Bryce: it depends on his summer conditioning, but he can compete and play some significant minutes his first year.

Jake: again, it depends on how quickly he adapts to the speed and physical play, and how much strength he develops early on. I think he’s very capable of pushing Dorian for minutes.

David: Unknown. The only time I saw him play (18 months ago) he was scrappy and scrawny. I think he averaged close to 21 points a game his senior year, which is good regardless of the competition. The staff really like him and will give him a chance to compete. I guess you can redshirt a walk-on, and that’s what I would do based upon what I’ve seen of him, and then give him Derrick’s scholarship next year if he’s good enough. If that happens, it means we sign no players for 2013-14 unless someone defects.

I’m sure more knowledgeable people than me have their opinions too. Frankly, I love all our kids, and I think all could see significant minutes if we have a deep bench and can run, run, run until we run and shoot the legs off our opponents. We’ll see.

Speaking of Ahern, he may follow in the path of Ross Jorgusen ffrm Toledo, Wa.who was a walk on for two years.Got as scholarship for the lasttwo and was a starter as a senior.
You talk about scrappy, aross had it all thru his entirebody. I thinkhe mitehave been the most copetitive Pilot player of all except forRick Ravio. Cdertainly not the player of Rick but for sure a scrapper like our Hall of Famer.
The last I heard of Ross he was player for the Stuttgart,Germany professionalteam and wworked at Holtons summer camps as acoach