'I made sure to outwork everybody.' El Capitan star staying home at UC Merced.

Angel Serena knew the odds weren't in his favor. Usually, college basketball coaches aren't knocking on doors, scouring the country, looking for undersized guards.

The El Capitan senior knew he had to outwork other players to get his opportunity.

Serena's opportunity will be right down the road from his high school. Serena signed his national letter of intent to play basketball at UC Merced on Friday afternoon during a ceremony in front of family, teammates, friends and coaches at El Capitan High.

"It's a great feeling," Serena said. "Not many (5-foot-5) athletes get to play collegiate sports, especially my position playing basketball. Not many people in this area get the chance so it's pretty amazing."

Serena has worked for everything that has come his way on the basketball court.

This is a high school kid who gets up at 4:30 in the morning every day so he can go get some shots up in the gym before school. He then works out in the weight room after school. In the evening he's back in the gym working on his game.

"I've always been a hard worker and dedicated," Serena said. "I knew I was never going to be as tall as other players or as athletic. So I made sure to outwork everybody. "

Serena was named Sun-Star Basketball Player of the Year this past winter after leading the Gauchos to their first Central California Conference championship. Serena was also named the CCC Most Valuable Player along the way.

Serena averaged 7.8 points, 5.1 assists and just under 2 steals per game, but his value on the court goes beyond the stat sheet.

"He's done a lot for El Cap," said UC Merced men's basketball coach Kevin Pham. "We definitely like his on-the-ball defense. He's a great kid, who plays hard. Then you talk about his work ethic. I don't think there is anyone around who works harder than Angel.

"Obviously, being 5-5 is a disadvantage for him, but he does a lot of stuff to overcome that. He's extremely quick off the dribble, he shoots the ball well and then he has those intangibles. He has great leadership skills."

Serena, who compiled a 3.85 GPA at El Capitan, plans to major in psychology at UC Merced. He already has plans to get a master’s degree in education.

The thought of playing close to home where his family can continue to watch him play was very appealing.

"It would be nice to have that support," Serena said. "Everyone has been watching me since I was younger. To have them watch me down the street will be nice. I've gotten to know the coaching staff and I know most of the guys on the team on a personal level. I think it's going to be a great fit."

This story was originally published April 27, 2018 at 5:18 PM with the headline "'I made sure to outwork everybody.' El Capitan star staying home at UC Merced.."