Kobe Paras. Photo by Cal State Northridge Matadors website
Now on his third school in two years, Kobe Paras is hoping that Cal State Northridge will finally be the home he has been looking for.
“It’s a new beginning and it’s very humbling for me,” the 19-year-old prodigy said as he was formally introduced on Thursday at The Matadome inside the campus.
After a short stay in UCLA and a year spent in Creighton, Paras is looking for a fresh start back in the West coast.
READ: Kobe Paras bids farewell to Creighton, plans transfer
But the second-generation cager shared that he has no regrets with the decisions he made.
After the Bruins said that he had failed to meet their academic requirements, Paras went to Omaha, Nebraska, where he took a chance with the Bluejays but played sparingl, averaging 1.3 points in 15 games in his freshman season.
“I just took a chance,” he said, as seen in a video of the presser posted on the CSUN. “As a freshman, I expected to play a lot. We had a strong lineup of older guys and (coach Greg McDermott) believed in the older guys. Everything happens for a reason.”
READ: Kobe Paras plans to try out for Gilas
Though it wasn’t the path Paras originally envisioned when he took his act to the United States, he’s staying optimistic as he will now be coached by former NBA star Reggie Theus.
“It’s been hard for me the last couple years. I’ve been through a lot of adversity and my head’s still high,” he said.
Theus, meanwhile, thinks that Paras is just what the Matadors need going forward. After all, he has previously recruited the 6-foot-6 guard back in his days in Cathedral High School and Middlebrooks Academy.
READ: Kobe’s first foray into March Madness
“Kobe has endless potential and his ceiling is so high,” the mentor said. “He went through some adversity last year and some things that weren’t so good for him. He kept his composure. I’m really proud to have Kobe here.”
And that may just be the shot of confidence Paras needs, as he is set to sit out the upcoming season before finally suiting up come the 2018-2019 collegiate season.
For now, he’s just glad that Theus still has his full confidence on him.
READ: Kobe Paras commits to Cal State Northridge
“I’ve been recruited ever since high school and Coach Reggie is still showing he wanted me to be here,” he said.
Paras is set to see action for the Philippine team in the upcoming 2017 Fiba 3×3 World Cup in Nantes, France, where he will team up with Jeron Teng, Kiefer Ravena, and JR Quiñahan.