MEN’S BASKETBALL SIGNS TWO MORE GUARDS IN MIKE MARCIAL AND JARED STIGALL
4/29/2008
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento State first-year head men’s basketball coach Brian Katz announced that his third and fourth recruits in less than a two-week span have signed with the team – 6-1, 180-pound point guard Mike Marcial from Fresno City College, and 5-10, 160-pound combo guard Jared Stigall from American River College. Both players will enroll as a juniors at Sacramento State in the fall.
Marcial comes with impressive credentials that include being named the Central Valley Conference MVP and California State Tournament MVP in 2007. He was a first team all-league selection during each of his two seasons at Fresno City, and he currently has a 3.33 gpa.
A local product, Stigall averaged 10.8 points, 6.1 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game while shooting 40.6 percent (110-271) from the field and 38.4 percent (63-164) from the three-point line for an American River College team that finished 21-13 overall last season and third in the Big 8 Conference at 9-5. Stigall prepped at Carmichael’s Jesuit High School where he helped lead the Marauders to a 2006 Sac-Joaquin Section Div. II championship as well as a Delta League title.
“Consistent with our approach with each of our signees thus far, both Mike and Jared come from very good programs that know how to win,” Katz said. “With all the guys we are signing, I know the kids well from having coached against them, I know their coaches well, and we know exactly what we are getting with each player.”
Marcial, a native of Clovis, Calif., has been the starting point guard and team captain the last two years for a Fresno City College squad that won the 2007 California Community College State Tournament, back-to-back Central Valley Conference championships, and combined for a 62-16 record over the last two seasons. During his MVP run in the 2007 state tournament, Marcial averaged 7.7 points, 7.0 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game during the tourney.
Last season (2007-08), he averaged 6.0 points, 6.1 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game. His assists were the sixth best mark in the state, and he finished the year a +2.9 assist-to-turnover ratio (227 assists, 77 turnovers). He helped lead the Rams to an appearance in the Final Eight of the state tournament.
As a freshman (2006-07), he averaged 6.8 points, 6.5 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 2.8 steals per game. His assists were the fourth best mark in the state, and he posted a +2.6 assist-to-turnover ratio (245 assists, 94 turnovers). Over his two-year career at Fresno City, he shot 42.2 percent (148-351) from the field and 41.4 percent (53-128) from the three-point line.
Marcial prepped at Clovis High School, where he was a four-year member of the varsity squad (2000-04). He was a two-time all Tri-River Athletic Conference selection as a sophomore and junior, before getting hurt six games into his senior season.
“Mike is a tremendous leader, competitor and winner,” Katz said. “He was the captain both years for a Fresno City team that won over 75 percent of their games during his two-year tenure. In addition, he led Fresno City to a state title and was named MVP of the state tournament as a freshman, and that says a lot about the level of player we are getting in Mike.”
Stigall was a first team all-Big 8 Conference selection last season for American River College. His 6.1 assists per game were the seventh best mark in the state, and his 2.4 steals were the 13th best mark in the state. In addition, the Sacramento, Calif., native had a +3.8 assist-to-turnover ratio (207 assists, 54 turnovers) and shot 71.5 percent (83-116) from the free throw line. As a freshman at American River (2006-07), he averaged 7.6 points, 3.3 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game.
A 2006 graduate of Jesuit High School, Stigall played all four years for the varsity squad, and was named the section MVP as a senior (2005-06) after leading the team to a NorCal Playoff semifinal appearance, a Sac-Joaquin Section Div. II championship, a 28-6 overall record and 13-1 mark in the Delta League. A two-time first team all-Delta League selection, he averaged 11.2 points, 5.3 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game as a senior.
“I’ve watched Jared play since he was a sophomore in high school, so I feel like I know him very well,” Katz said. “He comes from a very good high school and junior college program, and has become more of a complete player during each level of his career. He has learned to play both guard positions, is a tenacious defender, and really brings a lot of energy and personality to the court.”
Marcial and Stigall are the third and fourth signees of the 2008-09 recruiting class. Diablo Valley College swingman Antonio Flaggs (April 23) and San Joaquin Delta College forward Aaron Wilson (April 16) signed with Sacramento State earlier this month.
Katz was hired on April 10 to take over a Sacramento State team that finished the 2007-08 season with a 4-24 overall record and a 2-14 mark in the Big Sky Conference.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento State first-year head men’s basketball coach 
