Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Trey Neff

By Ray Hamill — After their memorable March Madness playoff run, four College of the Redwoods men’s basketball sophomores have received all-conference recognition.

Trey Neff and Mason Railsback were both named to the All-Golden Valley Conference First Team, while Jett Cheong received an honorable mention and Ty Neff was named to the All-GVC Defensive Team.

Trey Neff, who was conference MVP and an all-state selection as a freshman, let his mark on the program more than most.

After two standout seasons with the Corsairs, the Oregon native is third all-time in program history in scoring with 1,179 points and averaged 19.3 points a game, and he is also fifth all-time in career assists with 209 (3.4 a game).

“It’s virtually impossible to put into words what Trey has contributed to our program and culture,” head coach Ryan Bisio said. “The thought of not coaching him anymore brings tears to my eyes every time. He is a one in a trillion human being and we are so lucky that he is in our lives.

“He took such great pride in playing for Redwoods, and we as coaches worked tirelessly to deliver for him and prove that his decision to come down here was the best decision he ever made.”

Railsback, meanwhile, played a key role in the team’s late-season success, which saw the Corsairs win eight of nine games before their playoff loss at College of the Sequoias on Saturday night.

“I’m not sure it’s even debatable that Mason possess the most natural talent of any player we’ve coached here,” Bisio said of the former Arcata Tiger. “Our surge late in the season was made possible by the confidence and steadiness that he provided us. 

“It was not uncommon to look out there on the floor and see that he was the best player, regardless of who we were playing. 

“We’re so proud of the sophomore season he had, and we can’t wait to continue following his career from here.”

Mason Railsback

Cheong, who was a first-team all-GVC selection as a freshman, also left a lasting mark on program history.

The Mira Loma High School graduate is second all-time in career assists for CR with 255 in 61 starts (4.1 a game) and 20th all-time in scoring with 741 points (12.1 a game).

“Jett is probably the most underrated player I’ve ever seen in my life in basketball,” Bisio said of the sophomore who will graduate from CR with three AA degrees and a GPA of 4.0. “I don’t know how many Division-I guards we’ve seen him outplay in his career here, but it’s well over half a dozen, and it continued through the brilliant playoff run he had.

“Jett invested in us like nobody else ever has … the young man we saw this year was a blossomed version of himself and no matter where he goes from here his team will win, because the game of basketball is infatuated with Jett and will always bend towards his influence.”

Ty Neff, the twin brother of Trey, also played a pivotal role for the Corsairs for the past two seasons.

Jett Cheong

“It didn’t rake Ty long to forge his own identity as a unique player,” his coach said. “Trey commanded so much attention that, as his twin, I think most people missed out on how good Ty was initially.

“We knew the entire time that he was going to be one of the biggest contributors to our program’s success, and he was.

“His defensive instincts, ability to stick his nose in any situation, and the fight he brought every day gave all of us courage.

“His growth as a human being and the confidence that he’s built on and off the floor make him a shining example of what our program is capable of providing young people.”

Ty Neff