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Pair of transfers provides scoring punch for California State Fullerton

Courtesy of Matt Brown | Cal State Fullerton

California State Fullerton guard Kwame Vaughn is averaging 17.8 points per game this season, good for third in the Big West Conference, but only second on his team. Backcourt-mate D.J. Seeley ranks second in the conference with 19.2 points per contest.

When roommates Kwame Vaughn and D.J. Seeley battle it out over a game of Fight Night, NBA 2K or zombies in Call of Duty, Vaughn comes out victorious.

But that’s only according to Vaughn.

“I’m the best at it,” Seeley said. “He’s laughing. He’s lying.”

That competitive energy has spilled onto the court as well, where Seeley holds another advantage: a slight lead over his fellow senior co-captain in the Big West Conference scoring column. The California State Fullerton (11-9, 4-4 BWC) guards are two of the top-three scorers in the conference for a Titans offense that ranks No. 3 nationally in points per game. At Seeley’s rate of 19.2 points per contest, which is good for 26th in the country, he trails the Big West’s first-place holder by just 0.2 points per contest.

Vaughn isn’t too far behind his backcourt mate, averaging 17.8 points per game, helping to pace a CSF team that sits in the top 10 nationally in a few offensive categories.



Titans first-year head coach Andy Newman has the luxury of having not one but two proven scorers on the court when CSF needs a basket.

“Oh, it’s phenomenal. It’s great,” Newman said. “When you have two guys on the floor that can score from anywhere it really helps. It’s really a huge asset for us.”

But the Titans didn’t have either of those options two years ago. Both members of the Class of 2008, the guards started their college careers elsewhere.

Seeley was a highly rated recruit out of high school in Modesto, Calif. – a top-50 prospect who reached the radars of powerhouses such as Duke and UCLA. Seeley committed to California and played for the Golden Bears for two seasons, even though head coach Ben Braun had been fired before Seeley’s arrival.

On the other hand, CSF had its eyes on Vaughn out of Oakland, Calif., but decided it didn’t need a point guard from that recruiting class. Vaughn instead signed with nearby San Francisco, and was the Dons’ second-leading scorer for two years.

In neither of Seeley’s two seasons at Cal did he average more than 2.5 points per game or start a game. Simultaneously, Vaughn wasn’t in an ideal role either, despite the statistical success.

“It wasn’t the right situation or the right program,” Vaughn said. “Not my style of play. I was playing shooting guard as well.”

Conveniently, the Titans found themselves needing a point guard after Jacques Streeter transferred to Texas-El Paso. CSF was back on the recruiting scene and lured in Vaughn and Seeley with its wide-open, NBA-style offense.

“(They) wanted to play and play fast, score a lot of points, get back to having fun playing basketball,” Newman said. “It’s a fun, open style of basketball, that’s for sure.”

CSF has always brought in good transfers, Newman said. When transfers sit out the season due to NCAA transfer regulations, Newman said, they are placed on a “redshirt” team and practice against the Titans as a scout team.

Vaughn and Seeley, who played together once before in an AAU tournament, redshirted the 2010-11 season, which Newman said helped them understand how to play with each other’s style.

At the same time, the two developed a friendship, finding that they shared similar interests off of the court. They’re both religious, Vaughn said, and have similar backgrounds, which helped spark the friendship.

Fresh off the redshirt year, the guards burst to the top of the Titans’ stat sheets and finished one-two in the CSF scoring column. CSF jumped from sixth to second place in the Big West in its first season with Vaughn and Seeley on the court.

Opposing coaches can’t draw up anything that will stop both of them, Newman said.

“The one thing about both of them is they’re complete players,” Newman said. “A lot of times in the college level, you have guys who can shoot it but they can’t penetrate. Or they can penetrate and they can’t shoot it. These guys have the total package.”

This season, the Titans have been plagued with injuries, but its offense is still thriving as Seeley and Vaughn have grown into their leadership roles as co-captains. Out of CSF’s 20 games this year, the duo has combined for 40 points on seven separate occasions. They’ve totaled as much as 59, which was accomplished Jan. 5 and spearheaded by a 37-point performance by Seeley.

Newman will leave it to NBA general managers to determine Seeley and Vaughn’s future, but he believes his players have what it takes to succeed at the next level.

“I certainly know they possess the skill level, the talent and the will to be there,” Newman said. “I never have to worry about if they’re working out. If anything, I need to monitor how much they’re doing so they’re not wearing themselves out.”





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