Basketball is more than a sport for Jose Ignacio Serrano. It drove him from his hometown in Venezuela to Southwestern College. It may take him even further.
Serrano, 19, was born and raised in Barinas, a city near to the Andean Piedmont 326 miles away from Caracas, the capital. Soccer and baseball are the most popular sports in Venezuela, but basketball has a healthy niche, he said.
“Even though basketball is not that prominent, Venezuela is always in the top five of South America,” he said.
His father, Alvis, played professionally in Barinas with a second division team until he retired due to injuries. Serrano said he used to hear stories about the athletic prowess of his father, so he became curious and started to play basketball at age 11.
“My father never forced me to choose a sport,” he said. “He motivated me to play by not motivating me.”
Serrano said he began playing in an elementary school near his house and one year later became part of the Barinas state team that competed in national tournaments.
“I was 13 when I represented Venezuela in the Juegos Sudamericanos Escolares held in Colombia,” he said. “The next year we went to Brasil where we became champions.”
In 2015, Serrano was a candidate for the Venezuelan national U-15 team, but he was the last player cut. Serrano said the experience marked a turning point in his life.
“I was so disappointed,” he said. “People told me to my face I did not have talent. I had two options: to give up and stop playing basketball or keep working to become a better player.”
After the heartrending episode, Serrano said he left Barinas to play in the Venezuelan state of Carabobo, where he competed in two national championships. During that time, recruiter Wilmer Carvajal was looking for talent to play in the U.S. when he noticed Serrano. Carvajal recorded Serrano’s games and sent the videos to high schools all around the country. It was Balboa School, a private high school in Escondido, that offered a full-ride scholarship to the Venezuelan prodigy.
“Moving to the U.S. was a difficult transition for me,” he said. “When I came here I did not know a word of English and that made the practices harder. Being in that position where I needed to learn, it helped me to quickly understand the language.”
English was not the only barrier Serrano needed to conquer. U.S. basketball was different, he said, so he needed to adapt quickly.
“The American style is faster and more physical,” he said. “I had peers who moved here to play, but they returned to Venezuela after a few months because they could not follow the pace.”
He played his first year as a sophomore and started. During his senior year, Serrano said, he almost signed with Cal State East Bay, a Division II school.
“One thing I have learned is not to make decisions out of desperation,” he said. “We need to be patient, and even though the offer looks very good, it may not be the best thing.”
After graduation, Serrano contemplated returning to Venezuela because he did not know where to go to college. Hardy Asprilla, assistant head coach of Cal Baptist University and a former member of Colombia’s national team, recommended Southwestern College.
“I called the coaches and they contacted me back,” Serrano said. “They helped me with everything I needed and now I have the opportunity to play for the Jaguars.”
Serrano joined the Jaguars during the summer practices where he met team captain Emilio Arellano. They developed a rivalry that was not healthy. Arellano said the coaches had a stern talk with them.
“We were competing against each other in the beginning,” Arellano said. “We started to connect in our first tournaments and then we became unstoppable.”
Being the only Latin American players on the team helped them to create a singular bond. Arellano said they communicate in Spanish during games.
“We know where we are going to be at all times,” he said. “We are always talking on the court. We try not to do it a lot in practice, but in the games that throws off other players and our teammates already know what is going on.”
Arellano said he is looking forward to playing with Serrano this season until their paths take a different direction.
“After SWC, we are going to be at different schools,” he said. “I hope one day we play with our national teams against each other. I will always wish the best for him wherever he goes.”
Standing 6’7, Serrano is an all-around player. He can play point guard, shooting guard or forward. He is quick and has an excellent ball control. Head coach John Cosentino called him the “best player on the team.”
“He is our rock,” he said. “We try to center everything around him offensively. He is very talented.”
Averaging 12.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, Serrano has received scholarship offers from Division I and Division II universities, but he has not made a decision yet. Cosentino said Serrano is going to be a valuable addition to whatever university he chooses.
“After SWC, he would have three more years to play at a four-year level,” Cosentino said. “He needs to find the right fit, academically, socially and basketball-wise.”
Serrano said the Jaguars can win the conference title this season and he wants to leave his mark.
“I want to embody the idea that if you come to play for SWC, you can move on to the next level,” he said. “If I could do it, anyone can.”
Serrano said his mother, Melissa Suarez, taught him to face down challenges.
“She always said even if you are being mistreated by people, you always need to finish the job,” he said. “Do not give up no matter what and keep working so you can grow as a person.”
It was tough to leave his family behind to pursue his dream, Serrano said, but he does not regret leaving Venezuela.
“The most difficult thing for me is that I do not know what my brothers are doing,” he said. “I cannot be with my family during the holidays and every time I see my siblings they look bigger. Time does not stop, but my parents are happy that I am here in the U.S.”
