CSUN Transfers Bring Experience and Talent to Deep 2016-17 Squad

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NORTHRIDGE, CA---

When CSUN Men's Basketball takes the floor in its season opener on Nov. 11, Matador fans will notice a talented group of fresh new faces. Among the group are a quartet of transfers who come to CSUN from some of the most competitive conferences in the nation.

Junior guard Darin Johnson, junior center Dylan Johns, sophomore forward Rakim Lubin and junior forward Reggie Theus Jr. all join the Matadors after beginning their collegiate careers at power five conferences such as the Pac-12 Conference, the Southeastern Conference and the American Athletic Conference.

After sitting out last season due to NCAA transfer rules, the four Matadors are eager to make an immediate impact in their first official season with CSUN.

Competing in the Pac-12 Conference in his first two collegiate seasons, Johnson averaged 5.2 points per game in 57 contests with the Washington Huskies. He also managed to get to the free throw line consistently as he shot 101-for-129 at the charity stripe for a 78.3 percent clip.

"Playing in the Pac-12, you are playing against pros every night," said Johnson. "You have to bring your 'A' game or you are going to get exposed. I feel like bringing a power five experience to this conference will help a lot. Just that knowledge and having that experience will help this team."

The 6'5 guard from Sacramento, CA also expects to provide strong defensive play for CSUN alongside Matador senior Aaron Parks on the wings.

"Definitely my goals are to be one of the leading rebounders and one of the top defenders on the team," added Johnson. "Scoring will come with defense and being athletic. Personally, my expectations for this season are to stay consistent whether that's with my play or being the guy who leads by example."

"Probably the best athlete on the team, if not then close to the top," said head coach Reggie Theus about Johnson. "I know he won the speed and agility drills we've done here recently. He has the ability to become a great defensive player. When he's locked into the defense, he's going to be hard to deal with. He's a slasher who is capable of shooting the ball."

Along with the opportunity to turns heads with his energy on defense, Johnson is looking forward to returning back home in Northern California for games at Stanford (Nov. 15) and UC Davis (Jan. 14) during the season to play in front of family and friends in a CSUN uniform.

"That's a blessing," said Johnson. "Being able to play in front of the hometown fans is something you want to take advantage of. I'm very grateful that we will be able to do that."

Down on the blocks, the Matadors have added Johns, a 6'11 center from Ipswich, England. Completing two seasons with Texas A&M, Johns amassed 285 minutes on the floor in 40 games for the Aggies. He also scored 38 points, collected 35 rebounds and blocked 14 shots over his two years playing in the SEC.

"One of the reasons I transferred here was to be a major part of a team that could do well," said Johns. "Reggie and I had a lot of conversations about that and the fact that he had high expectations for this season. I like to think of myself as a solid player. I don't turn the ball over a lot. I feel like I make good decisions in game situations. Reggie has talked about me being more of an aggressive scorer. He wants me to block a lot of shots but also he wants me to stay in the game so I have to be smart about that."

Johns, who began his collegiate career weighing 208 lbs., attributes the evolution of his game to playing against stronger and bigger players while with Texas A&M. Now weighing 240 lbs., Johns feels the experience learned with the Aggies will benefit him greatly playing against teams in the Big West Conference.

"I played in the SEC which has a lot of size and physicality," added Johns. "I had to deal with it and it got me tough. I had to sort of man up and grow into my body. I was also forced to be more careful with the ball. I think those things will help me in this conference."

"[Dylan's] got a great presence around the basket," said Theus. "[He has] a great IQ as a basketball player and does well academically also. He has a feel for the game. He sets really good picks. I'm going to be able to give the ball to him in the post. He's got a nice jump hook shot. It's a great luxury for me as a coach because since I've been here I haven't had a legitimate post player and now I have two. To have Dylan is really going to pay great dividends for us. He is someone that we will count on a lot."

Born in England, Johns moved away from home to Spain when he was 14 years old before returning back to England to complete high school. The well-traveled Johns also competed with England's U-16 National Team. Showcasing his talent in multiple avenues, Johns also participated in rugby back home and a 50,000-meter rowing competition.

"I did [the rowing competition] when I was playing with my rugby team in England," said Johns. "That was meant to be a team building exercise but we ended up being exceptional at it. We did a 24-hour row over night when I was about 13 years old. It was a tough event but it forced us to come together as a team. I think stuff like that always translates to any sport."

Joining Johns around the paint for CSUN, Lubin brings more strength and toughness against some of the best front court players in the Big West. As a freshman in 2014-15, Lubin competed with UConn in the American Athletic Conference and appeared in 24 games. Averaging 6.5 minutes on the floor, Lubin scored 23 points on 8-of-15 shooting and he collected 28 rebounds.

"I'm going to bring a lot of rebounding and scoring," said Lubin. "I also can get my teammates in position to score by just the way I play. What I bring to the team is a full effort of everything we need to do to put the ball in the basket and defend on the other end."

After completing his freshman campaign with the Huskies, Lubin believes that experience can only benefit him with the Matadors.

"I try to look at all my basketball experiences in a way that can help in the future," added Lubin. "Definitely I got to play against a lot of stiff competition at UConn. I played different guys that are in the NBA now and I've practiced with guys that are Hall of Famers now. So that experience at UConn is going to help a lot when I get to play in the Big West Conference."

Playing basketball at UConn, Lubin's trip to the West Coast presents another journey for him. A native of Miami, FL, Lubin has ventured to different locations throughout his life. Having attended high school in both Georgia and Alabama, Lubin also played basketball in Germany this past summer.

"I've been away from family and friends all my life so it's really another challenge for me," said Lubin. "It's not that big a deal being away from home."

For his coach, Lubin presents matchup problems for numerous power forwards and centers in the Big West Conference this season.

"I don't know if there's many 6'8, 255 or 260 guys with his kind of bounce and speed," said Theus about Lubin. "I think he is going to be a load around the basket for anybody because he is so quick. It's going to be really important for him to be a good free throw shooter because I expect him to get to the line quite a bit. He runs the floor, can catch it on the perimeter and puts it on the floor pretty good for a guy his size. But his explosiveness around the basket and his strength are going to be difficult to deal with."

Rounding out the quartet, Theus Jr. heads into his junior season after playing his first two collegiate campaigns with South Carolina. Son of the Matadors' head coach, Theus Jr. brings the Matadors versatility as a 6'6 forward. With the Gamecocks, Theus Jr. played in 24 contests and scored 11 points in 70 total minutes of action.

"You are going up against NBA players in the SEC," said Theus Jr. "You are going up against guys that are bigger than you, stronger than you and faster than you. Playing for Frank Martin, it really taught me individually to never feel like anybody is bigger or stronger than you are. It forced me to man up. I was playing at the four a lot for coach Martin. I just learned to never use size as an excuse. I feel that mentality, and even leaving home to do it, forced me to just suck it up and get it done."

Gaining a tough spirit while with South Carolina, Theus Jr. heads into this season with the Matadors as an individual who could bring multiple skills to the team.

"I feel like I'm a guy that always makes sure he does what he needs to do to help," said Theus Jr. "There's never a time when I'm selfish. I'm always willing to make that extra pass and I make sure I get the shots that I know I could make. It's always about being unselfish and completing productive decisions."

Along with a fresh start, joining the Matadors meant reuniting with his father. While Theus Jr. has not played for his father at the collegiate level, this season won't be the first time the duo has teamed together. Theus Sr. last coached his son in AAU ball in Southern California when Theus Jr. was transitioning into ninth grade. Since a young age, Theus Jr. has dreamed of playing for his father at the collegiate level.

"I remember going up to my dad's office when I was maybe in the fourth or fifth grade and I told him that I wanted to play for him," said Theus Jr. "I just remember thinking to myself that was probably never going to happen."

"He's been watching me do my job for a long time," said Theus Sr. about his son. "He's a team guy. I actually try to get him to shoot more and be more aggressive offensively. He's athletic, he runs the floor and he finishes at the rim. It's going to be interesting for me coaching him. I enjoy yelling at him because his mom can't say anything about it. It's nice because he's receptive about it."

While Theus Jr.'s dream has come true, he recognizes the uniqueness of playing for his father.

"There's some moments we have because we do live in the same house," said Theus Jr. "Sometimes we'll be in the car and he'll ask about practice. Not every day is perfect but even after a practice that wasn't the greatest, I'll see him at home and it never transfers to the house. It's always positive. It's awesome playing for him."

With the addition of the four Matadors to the 2016-17 roster, CSUN expects to have a whole different look than the past few seasons. Possessing outstanding talent, a mix of size, speed and depth at multiple positions, the Matadors expect this season to be a special one.

"This is a great luxury for me because for three years I've been here, we haven't had a full team," said Theus. "What I like about our team is that we have the ability to play big and we have the ability to play small. We have multiple position guys. I'm going to throw out different lineups quite a bit."

California State University Northridge Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Dylan Johns

Darin Johnson

Rakim Lubin

Aaron Parks

Reggie Theus Jr.

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