OCC’s Cornett makes his way to Sonoma State

Orange Coast College sophomore Steve Cornett, who earned his way onto the Pirates’ men’s basketball team through a physical education class taught by Coach Steve Spencer, has earned a scholarship to continue his career at Division II Sonoma State University, former OCC assistant coach Duy Tran announced Thursday.

Cornett, a 6-foot-8, 225-pound post player, averaged 17.1 points and 8.3 rebounds in the 2006-07 season. He earned first-team All-Orange Empire Conference honors for the Pirates (17-15).

Cornett had 22 points and 12 rebounds in the Pirates’ 70-67 win over Los Angeles Southwest College in the first round of the Southern California regional playoffs. It was the program’s first postseason victory since 1987.

OCC lost to Ventura, 99-86, in the second round to end its season.

Cornett said he took two years off after graduating from Edison High. He came to OCC to play volleyball, but quit after one practice.

He said he approached Spencer about playing basketball before the 2005-06 season and Spencer said he would evaluate him in his P.E. Class. Spencer liked what he saw and Cornett averaged 9.4 points and 5.6 points coming off the bench as a freshman.

Cornett said he chose Sonoma State over Vanguard, Rocky Mountain College and Cal State Los Angeles, because he liked the school’s offense, which runs through the post.

“Once I quit basketball [after high school], I put on some weight and it ended up helping me play against bigger guys down low,” Cornett said. “No one wanted me out of high school, but basketball was always my No. 1 sport. To be getting a chance to play at a four-year school right now is amazing.”

Sonoma State Coach Rich Shayewitz said Cornett will be a good fit with the Seawolves, who finished 15-11, 14-8 in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. last season.

“Steve has a big body that he uses well,” Shayewitz said in a statement released by the school. “He is a great person as well as a great player and will fit right in at Sonoma State University. He is exactly what we needed to add to our returning team because he gives us the inside presence we’re losing to graduation this year.”

Also in the CCAA is Cal State San Bernardino, where former OCC standouts Lance Ortiz, Reggie Brown and James Estrada will be seniors next season.

“We’ve already started trash talking about our two games next season,” Cornett said of the conference regular-season games.

— Barry Faulkner