Words by Sean Ceglinsky 

Growing up, Cezar Guerrero wasn’t like most Hispanic kids his age.

Rarely, if ever, did he join neighbors at the local park to play soccer. Wearing shin guards and cleats just to kick around a ball on a grassy field never really appealed to him, even if all his friends were playing futbol and wondering why he wasn’t.

Believe it or not, basketball was Guerrero’s sport. All he needed was a slab of concrete with a hoop and nylon net at either end and he was content. More than happy… Hoops was the name of the game back then, and not surprisingly, still is today.

The 6-foot sophomore point guard from Workman High, just outside Los Angeles, Calif., has spent countless hours refining his skills throughout the years to emerge as one of nation’s most promising prospects among the 2011 class.

“I tried soccer, you know, like everyone else around me did when I was younger,’’ said Guerrero, whose nickname is C.J. “But there was always something special about basketball. I can’t really explain it, there’s just something special about the game.

“Once I started dribbling the ball, I was hooked. Shooting jumpers came easy to me. After that, it was a wrap. Nothing else mattered. Nothing at all. Not baseball, not football, not tennis. Definitely not soccer.

“Basketball was my first love. It’s my passion.’’

His decision to forge his own path in basketball is unique in the sense that Latinos haven’t had much success in making a name for themselves in the sport. Guerrero, however, has been able to draw inspiration from Eduardo Najera.

The 10-year NBA veteran is from Chihuahua, Mexico, the same region as Guerrero’s mother, Martha. Najera has played for four different teams in his career and is averaging just less than 12 minutes per game for the New Jersey Nets this season.

“Eduardo Najera is out there making a difference,’’ Guerrero said. “He’s out there proving that anyone can do whatever they want regardless of where they are from. How could a person doing something like that not put a smile on your face?

“Basketball is universal. It doesn’t belong to any one race of people. Basketball doesn’t belong to any two races. It doesn’t belong to any three races or any 10 races. I play for the love of the game. That’s how it should be.’’

Guerrero opened plenty of eyes as a freshman when he averaged 18 points, five rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals a game for St. John Bosco, a relatively small private school in Bellflower, Calif.

Moreover, he didn’t put up those numbers against inferior opponents. Guerrero and his teammates played in one of Southern California’s toughest leagues, the Trinity, where national powerhouse Santa Ana Mater Dei reigns supreme.

“I’ve been impressed with Guerrero’s handle, ability to score in bunches and insane quickness,’’ said Patrick Stanwood, Nothing But Net National Recruiting Analyst. “He has to be mentioned among the top 10 point guards in the country for his class.‘’

Such praise is worthy considering how well Guerrero performed on the national level during last spring and summer.

As a freshman, he started for his club team, Belmont Shore, alongside Arizona-bound Kyle Fogg, Duke-bound Mason Plumlee and Louisville-bound Stephan Van Treese. Guerrero & Co. ended up winning the 2008 Las Vegas Easter Classic, defeating the likes of Team Odom Los Angeles, featuring Texas-bound Jordan Hamilton, and a Branch West group, anchored by UCLA-bound Tyler Honeycutt.

Guerrero also went head-to-head with the best of the best at the Fullcourt Press All-West Camp and made the Top 25 game there with the likes of Jeremy Tyler, Michael Snaer, Hollis Thompson and Roberto Nelson.

Guerrero silenced the critics at the Arizona Cactus Classic when he teamed with Michigan-bound Darius Morris to defeat the Northwest Panthers, led by Abdul Gaddy and Avery Bradley.

Guerrero didn’t back down at the Nike Hoop Jamboree in St. Louis, MO., and then, held his own at the Reebok Summer Championships in Las Vegas.

Turns out, scoring goals in soccer was never an option for Guerrero. But scoring baskets always was.

“I remember when CJ was six years old and he was making jumpers from everywhere on the court with consistency,’’ older brother Joe Covarrubias said. “Then, at 10, he scored 72 points in a recreational league game and I knew it was time to start working with him.

“He’s grown up fast since then. He’s matured.

“There was a time when he wasn’t ready to go up against big-time competition, but those days are long gone. He’s got a target on his back now. He knows people are after him so he has to bring his ‘A’ game all the time. There’s no holding him back anymore.”

Recruiting services such as Rivals.com and Scout.com are crazy about Guerrero, both constantly providing updates about the prospective colleges interested in him. Arizona, Stanford, Gonzaga, Texas, Oregon State, Marquette and Maryland, along with UCLA and USC are among the potential suitors.

In the midst of all the hype, he’s become an Internet sensation, of sorts. His highlight video on BallisLife.com gets tons of hits on a daily basis, ranking second in total views to USC freshman DeMar DeRozan.

Onlookers have dubbed Guerrero everything from Mexican Michael Jordan to Hispanic Tim Hardaway to Latino LeBron James.

The future is bright. But let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. Guerrero, after all, is 16-years old. There’s no need to put any added pressure on him. Remember, he has two more years of high school ahead of him.

“I’m on a journey, a basketball journey,’’ Guerrero said. “Ever since I was a kid there have been a lot distractions, people telling me I can’t do this and I can’t do that. One thing I’ve learned is, with work ethic and a lot of determination, anything is possible. It’s all about desire.

“I want to leave my mark on the game.’’