LOMPOC, Calif. --- It's been quite the journey for Sherman Vernon since he graduated seventh in his class from Lompoc High School in 2010. After already attending two other universities it seems he's found a landing spot as a part of Biola's Men's Basketball team.
 
"Sherman is an outstanding young man," said Head Coach Dr. Dave Holmquist. "Because of injuries he hasn't really had a chance to play in college yet, so he is very motivated to show what he can do."
 
Vernon went into the Air Force Academy after his high school graduation, beginning his path to become an Air Force officer, which is his ultimate career goal. After seeing some time on the court for the Falcons, averaging 3.2 ppg and shooting 40 percent from three-point range, Vernon transferred to Loyola Marymount. He had to redshirt because of the transfer to LMU and never appeared in a game there.
 
But it was his time as a forward for the Braves at Lompoc HS where he truly thrived on the court and in the classroom. Vernon maintained a grade point average above 3.8 in each of his four high school seasons while also participating in numerous activities outside of basketball, including robotics, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Renaissance.
 
On the court, he played three varsity seasons and captained the team during two of those. He increased his scoring averages in each of those three seasons, ultimately averaging just under 20 points-per-game as a senior. He led the team to one league championship and three CIF playoff appearances while becoming the school's all-time leader in rebounds (718) and scoring the second-most points all-time (1,216).
 
His athletic honors include three all-league selections, two all-area and all-county selections and one All-CIF honor. He'll bring a tremendous mix of scoring and rebounding ability to Biola's lineup and his 6-foot-7-inch frame certainly won't hurt either.
 
"Biola gives me a great opportunity to be successful both on and off the court, while also becoming stronger in my faith," said Vernon.
 
He plans to major in kinesiology and eventually become an Air Force officer through his work with ROTC. He credits his mother and father, Shelly and Sherman, with being a key reason why he chose to bring his talents to Biola.