Head coach James Giacomazzi walked into the gym at Colfax High School in Sacramento. In the middle of his recruiting season, he had one objective: locate Diego Maldonado.
Giacomazzi had caught wind of Maldonado’s senior season in which he won league MVP, averaged 20 points per game and dominated every court he stepped on.
When he arrived, Maldonado was nowhere in sight. In fact, the guard was on a family trip — but he came back hours after the practice ended. Giacomazzi was still there, talking to the Colfax head coach Devin Ginty.
Ginty pointed Maldonado out to Giacomazzi right away. The Hawks coach asked if he could watch him train. That’s when Giacomazzi landed a strong shooter: a skill last season’s 2025-2026 squad lacked.
Las Positas College gained yet another outstanding player for the upcoming men’s basketball season. Maldonado, a combo guard, played at Colfax High School in Sacramento, where he had a breakout senior year performance and was named league MVP.
This marks another outstanding recruit for Giacomazzi, who just committed seven-foot Croatian center Luka Galić. Galić wasMaldonado’s teammate in the European Youth Basketball League, in which they represented Ireland for the North Atlantic Basketball Academy.
“He works. He’s a good shooter,” Giacomazzi said regarding Maldonado. “We couldn’t shoot very well this year, so we wanted to address that area.”
Giacomazzi’s recruiting season is promising. He is filling the deficits that hindered the Hawks in their 2025-2026 season, and there is still more to come.
Maldonado’s path to Las Positas was shaped by both success and uncertainty. After graduating, he initially committed to Simpson University before stepping away from the game for a brief period.
“When I graduated, I was kind of lost,” Maldonado said. “I was hurt.”
Rather than forcing the next step, he took time away before eventually pursuing an opportunity overseas in Dublin, Ireland, where he met Galić for the first time.
“So I went to Europe,” Maldonado said. “Luka ended up being my roommate in Ireland, and that’s how we met.”
The adjustment wasn’t easy. In his first game, he totaled three points. He was being worked, but eventually adjusted to the pace. Playing against experienced athletes pushed Maldonado out of his comfort zone, but it also accelerated his development.
“Towards the end of the season, I had a 40-point game. A 38-point game,” Maldonado said. “I finally found my groove.”
That experience reshaped Maldonado’s confidence and approach. When he returned to California, he brought a more mature mindset and continued his consistent training. Following his training in Ireland, Giacomazzi found him primed and ready.
That moment, unplanned and unexpected, became the turning point in his recruitment.
“When we saw him, we thought he was a great fit for us,” Giacomazzi said.
The same day, another piece fell into place. Galić had been staying in Sacramento, where he and Maldonado reconnected. He tried calling Maldonado a few times and eventually found him in the gym with Giacomazzi, who immediately asked Galić about his experience.
Giacomazzi quickly recognized the opportunity to bring in not just one, but two players who already had chemistry and shared experience.
“They’re gym rats,” Giacomazzi said. “They want to be in the gym.”
Now reunited, Maldonado and Galić arrive at Las Positas with a built-in connection and a shared drive to improve. For Maldonado, the focus remains simple.
“I just want to win games,” he said. “No individual stuff. Just win games and get as far as we can.”
From a missed workout to a defining opportunity, Maldonado’s journey highlights the importance of staying ready. What could have been a missed connection instead became the start of his next chapter. One that both he and Giacomazzi believe is just getting started.
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TOP PHOTO: Sharp shooter Diego Maldonado dribbles during his senior season at Colfax High School in Sacramento, Calif. The league MVP averaged 20 points per game and later committed to Las Positas College after developing his game overseas in Ireland. (Photo courtesy of Ruby Mussell)
Annie Moore is the Sports Editor of The Express. Follow her on X @SanJosAnnie.
