‘Mullet Man’ Andre Gomez of Grant Pacers tops list of Sacramento area’s best underclassman
The first thing you notice about Andre Gomez, before his sweet shooting form, his left-handed drives to the bucket or his ability to thunder dunk, is the hair. You can’t miss it.
And that’s some shock of locks that the 6-foot-4 Grant High School guard sports. There’s no way around it. It’s a full-on jet-black mullet. Thick on top, long and flowing in the back, the envy of any follically challenged sort who’d surrender his left arm or best Jordan sneakers for such joy.
This is the Gomez look, and it is as striking as his game. He is the best sophomore and perhaps the best underclassman in the greater Sacramento-area basketball scene this winter. The talent isn’t about to thin out any time soon with an abundance of young ballers playing beyond their years.
Gomez is heckled often in opposing gymnasiums for his ‘do, but those sounds are muted when he displays his versatility, all while saying nothing. The mild-mannered Gomez admits that one had better have some serious game if he’s going to sport such a serious look.
“Oh, yeah, for sure,” Gomez said with a laugh after a recent game. “I’ve always had long hair and I’ve always had fun with it. I hear it all the time at games, too. People call me a hockey guy since hockey players wear these, I guess, or ‘Mullet Man.’”
Gomez embraces the “Mullet Man” moniker. He also likes the sound of his reputation as that of a fast-rising recruit. Fresno State is among those who have offered him a full athletic scholarship. More offers are sure to come. He checks off all the boxes as a student and athlete with ability and results.
Gomez averages 24 points, muscles inside for rebounds, looks to make the extra pass, and hustles up and down the floor, never slowed by the wind drag of his hair in tow. He is the one player the storied Pacers of Del Paso Heights can not afford to be without.
“Andre is so talented and he’s incredible to coach,” Grant coach Deonard Wilson said. “He’s always, ‘Yes, sir, no sir.’ He wants to be great. And, yeah, he has great hair.”
Gomez is a lefty, but he can go right, which he does often to further fluster defenses. Guard him close and he’ll drive past you and dish off, or he can finish with a layup or a dunk. Guard him too lightly and he’ll fire up a 3-pointer.
“He’s a great player, hard to stop,” Monterey Trail coach Robert Fields said.
Gomez never seems to tire, either. He does not comprehend what an “off day” is. For him, it’s not sitting around the house with a remote in hand. It’s working out, working up a sweat and getting better.
“Coach has to tell me to stop, to slow down and take it easy,” Gomez said. “I can’t. I love it too much.”
Gomez plays for the nationally recognized Compton Magic AAU summer team. He could attend any school he’d like via transfer, but he calls Grant home. His next stop is college, two years from now. His game and efforts are rooted in discipline, his coaches say, and a lot of that comes from his grandparents. Both served 30-plus years in the Army.
“I’m never afraid to work,” Gomez said.
Here’s are some of the other top underclassmen in the Sacramento area.
Josiah Andrews, Rocklin
Bio: Guard | 6-foot | Sophomore
Game: Andrews is a reliable scoring option on The Bee’s top-ranked team, slithering inside for buckets, running the floor and making stops.
Romello Bruhn, Woodland Christian
Bio: Guard | 6-3 | Sophomore
Game: Averaging a regional-best 27.4 points, Bruhn burned Argonaut for 53 on Jan. 3. He scores inside and out effortlessly. Father Chris Bruhn was a Woodland High football great.
Joven Dulay, Folsom
Bio: Forward | 6-7 | Sophomore
Game: Still growing in size and in game, Dulay can be physical, can make 3-point shots and anything in the paint as a star in the making for a storied program.
SirMister Harriel, Antelope
Bio: Guard | 6-3 | Sophomore
Game: With a name as fun as his game, Harriel hails from a great family of athletes, including sister Jzaniya Harriel, a three-time Bee Player of the Year now at Stanford. He averages 15.9 points.
Brenden Hawkins, Del Oro
Bio: Guard | 6-1 | Freshman
Game: Nothing rattles the man who averages 9.3 points on a veteran-laden team that seeks championships. He is on his way to a stellar four-year varsity career.
Siincere Hudson, Inderkum
Bio: Guard | 6-2 | Freshman
Game: There is no “I” in team, and while Hudson has two in his first name, he’s a team-first leader and already a team captain. Hudson averages 11.7 points for a powerhouse program.
Jaden Jackson, West Park
Bio: Guard | 6-2 | Sophomore
Game: A terrific quarterback for a playoff football team, JJ is still helping run the show in high tops as a versatile, skilled floor leader for a surging Panthers program seeking championships.
Manno Jenkins, Natomas
Bio: Guard | 6-0 | Sophomore
Game: Manno is the man for a league championship contender, leading the Nighthawks in scoring (17.2) and assists (4.6). He averaged 9.5 as a freshman on varsity.
Aiden Rollins, Franklin
Bio: Guard | 6-3 | Sophomore
Game: Rollins turned heads on varsity a year ago, averaging 12.4 points per game, and he’s really doing so now this season in leading the Wildcats with a 14.9 average amid the best start in program history.
Max VanLaningham, Woodcreek
Bio: Forward | 6-7 | Sophomore
Game: He averaged 7.7 points per game as a freshman on varsity, tirelessly worked on his game and is scoring 13.5 ppg now with a lot of thunder dunks. He’s also a shot blocker. Bolt those backboards, folks. VanSlamingham is coming.
Zach Villanueva, West Campus
Bio: Guard | 6-1 | Sophomore
Game: The Zach Attack leads always-steady West Campus in scoring (23.2) and assists (5.9) and he has the Warriors of the Sac City Unified School District rolling toward a conference championship.
Jaylan Virgil, Laguna Creek
Bio: Guard | 6-1 | Freshman
Game: From a talented basketball family, Virgil joined an experienced Cardinals roster and leads the team in scoring (13.2), dropping in 19 and 21 in his first varsity outings. Has the makings of a star.
Isaac Zmelzikar, Union Mine
Bio: Forward | 6-3 | Sophomore
Game: Every title contender needs a relentless rebounder, and that’s the role of the guy they call “Z” in El Dorado County. He averages 15.5 points and 12.4 rebounds for a 23-2 team.
Who’d we miss: Know of a freshman or sophomore varsity basketball player of note in the Sacramento region? Throw us a lob pass into the post with insight at jdavidson@sacbee.com.
