October 5, 2024

OC Sports Zone: Community First

Costa Mesa basketball star Nico Dasca signs with Vanguard along with two other players

Vanguard Coach Rhett Soliday with Costa Mesa’s Nico Dasca. (Photos courtesy Vanguard Athletics)

Vanguard University’s basketball team has signed Nico Dasca from Costa Mesa High, one of the top guards in Orange County, according to Vanguard Coach Rhett Soliday.

“We are thrilled to add Nico and his family to our basketball family,” Soliday said. “Nico is a great fit in every way for who we are and what we do. He is a dynamic, playmaking guard who can elevate his team in so many ways.  I can’t wait to get started working with Nico.

“He is a hungry, fearless competitor and we are fortunate to have landed one of the top guards in Orange County.”

Dasca, a 5-10 guard, was MVP of the Orange Coast League and led the Mustangs to the league title.

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Vanguard has also signed Jon Scherer from Crean Lutheran and Juwon Ganiyu from JSerra, Soliday added.

“Jon was one of the top shooters in Orange County throughout his high school career,” Soliday said. “He has great length on the wing and can really open up the lane by being a floor-spacer.  Jon is also a relentless worker who loves to spend time in the gym growing his game. He will have a major impact at Vanguard during his career, and more importantly he will add tremendous depth of character to our program and our university.”

“Juwon has as much up-side as any freshman big man we have signed at Vanguard,” Soliday said. “He played in a great league, at a great program and for a great coach in Coach Wilkinson.

“Coming from Nigeria, these last two years at JSerra have been invaluable for Juwon to be prepared for the college game.  Juwon is a great young man, who has his brightest moments on the court ahead of him.”

The program has also signed Kieran Hayward, who played at LSU out of high school before transferring to University of Massachusetts; Mike Magee from Cypress College and Masie Mohammadi out of Skyline Community College, Soliday said.