This season, men’s basketball added an elite player to its roster — junior guard Dwight Ramos. The 6-foot-4 guard from West Covina transferred from Cal State Fullerton after playing two seasons and appearing in 43 games for the Titans.
However, Ramos captured Cal Poly’s attention before putting on a Fullerton jersey.
He was recruited out of Walnut High School by the Broncos and rightfully so, after averaging 28 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.6 blocks per game.
He was also named to the All-CIF-Southern Section 2015-16 Boys Basketball Division 1A First Team.
“When I was coming out of high school, Cal Poly wanted me as well, but I decided to go to Fullerton,” Ramos said. “So when I came out and they still wanted me, I went with them because they’ve been at it from the beginning.”
In his final season with the Titans, Ramos was seeing just over six minutes a game and averaging 2.1 points per game.
He made the decision to part ways with Fullerton to find a school that would give him more opportunities to showcase his talents.
It was only fitting that Cal Poly Pomona would be that school.
“We knew what kind of kid he was and what kind of player he was,” head coach Greg Kamansky said. “He was heavily recruited out of Fullerton and we were able to get him so we were really happy about that.”
The gap between Division I and Division II programs might seem large to some, but for Dwight they are more alike than one would think.
“It wasn’t a whole lot different,” Ramos said. “The difference between D1 and D2 isn’t that big. The skill level and competition is about the same between Cal State Fullerton and Cal Poly Pomona.”
In his first game as a Bronco, Ramos logged in 24 minutes and had 14 points to go along with five rebounds. Just three days later, the guard led Cal Poly to a victory over Dixie State by putting up 26 points on 8 of 16 shooting and 6 of 10 from 3-point range.
My first two years I knew that I had a lot to prove, but I just didn’t get the opportunity,” Ramos said. “I think I’m finally getting the opportunity to prove myself here.”
Currently at the midway point of the season, Ramos still finds himself adjusting, but anyone who has watched the guard in action knows it’s just a matter of time until he gets situated in his new role and plays at the high level that he’s capable of playing at.
“At Fullerton I didn’t really play as much and I didn’t have as big of a role,” Ramos said. “It’s just like stepping into a bigger role here is like one of the hardest parts for me; I’m still trying to get used to it.”
The Broncos are currently sitting with an overall record of 12-5, but still expect to make some noise this season.
“Our first goal is trying to win the CCAA,” Ramos said. “Then move onto the NCAA tournament and hopefully win that or go as far as we can.”
Ramos has also set personal goals for himself that he hopes to accomplish while here at Cal Poly.
“Before my graduate year I would like to be player of the year,” Ramos said. “That’s just a goal that I set for myself. That’s where I want to be.”
A goal that may seem far-fetched for some, but for the junior guard it’s very much obtainable.
“He’s still learning our program,” coach Kamansky said. “He’s trying to play himself into a bigger role right now and get some confidence back. We’re expecting good things from him and he represents our program very well for us off the court so I’m happy he’s here.”
Bronco fans should also be excited about having Ramos on the roster and the impact he will have during his time at CPP.
He’s a scorer and a very versatile one at that. The early season games were just a glimpse of what No. 0 is capable of.
Adjustments take time, but with a chip on his shoulder and a lot to prove, this will not be the last you hear the name Dwight Ramos.