The funny thing about journeys -- particularly the long ones that are fraught with adversity -- is they're tough to appreciate until they've almost drawn to a close.
As Steven Diaz's Merced College basketball career winds down, the sophomore guard has gained that kind of clarity.
"My three years here haven't gone exactly how I would have chosen, but I'm grateful for how they turned out," Diaz said. "Sure, I would have loved to come in and contributed right away, but that wasn't going to happen.
"I had to work hard to get where I am and it's made me a better basketball player and person."
While he may never have reached star status in high school, Diaz was certainly a regular contributor at Golden Valley. Blessed with a smooth outside shot, Diaz averaged 10.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per game in his senior year.
Diaz's high school career culminated with a 20-point performance -- in which he hit six 3-pointers -- in a playoff victory over Modesto.
Providing similar contributions for the Blue Devils has proven more difficult.
Diaz redshirted his first year at MC and spent most of his second riding the bench. The waiting was taxing.
"Redshirting my first year wasn't a big deal, because I wasn't ready," Diaz said. "Going up against guys like (Julius) Cheeks in practice taught me about the speed of the game and how much stronger I needed to be.
"Last year was much more frustrating, playing behind Lavell (Shipman) and Adam (Grubb). I thought I could be in there trying to help my team win.
"I didn't deserve it, though. I didn't put in all the extra work that those guys did. So I didn't get in as much as I would have liked."
Diaz wasn't about to let the same thing happen in his sophomore campaign.
He hit the weights as hard as his 165-pound frame would allow and spent most of his offseason in the gym, working on his all-around game.
Diaz's efforts have paid dividends.
He's started a number of the Blue Devils' games this season and those he hasn't started, he's one of the first off of head coach Bill Russell's bench.
"Steve is a kid that doesn't neccesarily have all the talent in the world, but he works hard and tries to do the little things," Russell said. "He's really grown and put in a lot of effort to get himself to a level where he can help this team out."
Diaz has averaged 5.1 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals this season.
The numbers aren't gaudy, but they've steadily increased as his confidence has grown.
Diaz hit some big shots and had a career-high 12 points in a victory over Reedley last weekend.
He'll look to keep firing away as MC (3-3 Central Valley Conference, 6-12) goes for its first three-game win streak of the season when it travels to College of the Sequoias (5-1, 17-6) tonight. The ball tips at 7 p.m.
"I've stopped worrying about where my shots are going to come from and started creating shots," Diaz said. "I haven't been content to just shoot 3s. I've been going to the basket a lot more and my points have gone up.
"I'm more of an all-around player these days and it's why I'm getting my chance."
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