In a day and age where money grubbing, ego driven showoffs dominate the athletic arena, Sacramento State point guard Rashaad Hooks is one of the few exceptions.

If you find yourself at a men’s basketball game looking for Hooks, he will not be the player banging his own chest after making a basket.

Nor will he be the guy getting in an opposing player’s face after a blocked shot.

Hooks will be, in the words of Hornet coach Jerome Jenkins, the “silent leader.”

“I’m an outcast, to tell you the truth,” Hooks said. “I like to stick to myself.”

While Hooks might not be the most outgoing guy off the court, he is certainly beginning to make his presence felt on the hardwood. With point guard Ronnie Walton out for possibly the rest of the season with a fractured shin, Jenkins has appointed Hooks to take command of the Hornet ship, as they look to earn their first ever Big Sky tournament berth.

If that isn’t enough pressure for the 21-year-old guard, Jenkins has also called upon Hooks to snap the Hornets’ 45-game, Big Sky road losing streak, which dates back to 1996.

“People look at me as somebody who’s trying to change the tradition of losing we have at Sac State,” Hooks said.

On defense, Hooks’ long arms and quick feet constantly hound opposing guards. His 1.44 steals per game rank ninth in the Big Sky.

On offense, Hooks uses his slashing ability in the lane to create scoring chances both for himself and his teammates.

Hooks stands eighth in the conference in assists, dishing out 4.33 per game, while compiling the second best assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.79.

Hooks, the son of Ronald and Dawn Hooks, grew up in San Jose, where he starred at Piedmont Hills High.

Hooks led his varsity team to three consecutive league titles while earning conference MVP honors.

Coming out of high school, Hooks was recruited by several mid-major schools, including Bradley University and San Francisco State University.

Hooks, however, decided that he wasn’t quite ready for a four-year institution, and decided to take another path.

“My grades weren’t there,” Hooks said. “So I decided that junior college would be the best choice for me.”

Hooks attended West Valley Junior College in Saratoga, where he began to gain national recognition for his stellar play on the court.Coming out of West Valley, Hooks was recruited by powerhouse schools such as the Universities of Georgia, Cincinnati and Oklahoma University.

Despite the pressure to leave the state, Hooks decided to remain close to home, and chose to attend Sac State.

Throughout his recruitment, Hooks didn’t view himself as a basketball player, but rather as a student playing basketball.

“Some players dream and live only basketball,” Hooks said. “I play basketball because it comes easy to me.”

In his first game, a match up with Old Dominion University at the Guardians Classic in Memphis, Tenn., Hooks made the game look easy, recording team-highs with 11 points and three steals.

Hooks continued to show flashes of solid play throughout the pre-season, but was never allotted the minutes to show that he could consistently perform at a high level.

It was a Jan. 25 match up with conference leader Montana State University where Hooks made his lasting impression on Hornet coaches and fans.

Hooks picked apart the conference’s top defensive team, recording 10 assists with no turnovers en route to a 78-56 thrashing of the Bobcats.

“(Hooks) is doing a great job,” Jenkins said. “From A to Z, he’s grown as a basketball player.”

Hooks’ growth as a player has been guided by senior guards Ronnie Walton and Rene Jacques.

“Ronnie’s a real vocal leader, so I learn how to talk to players and communicate from him,” said Hooks, who has similar praises for Jacques. “Rene works hard all the time. He always gives 110 percent.”

After two years of junior college, and 24 games into his Hornet career, the question is no longer whether this 6-foot-2 guard can play, but whether he can carry the Hornets into the postseason.”Most definitely,” was Hooks’ response.

The obstacles don’t stop at the end of this season for Hooks, however. DeShawn Freeman, a sharp-shooting point guard from St. Mary’s High in Berkeley, will be coming to Sac State next year to battle Hooks for the starting spot.

“If he gets the spot, more power to him,” Hooks said. “I’m not here for myself, I’m here for the wins.”

Jenkins remains confident that it is Hooks, and not Freeman, who he wants leading the Hornets.

“I’m a very loyal coach,” Jenkins said. “I want Rashaad to be our point guard of the future.”

Hooks, a Communication Studies major, carries with him a realistic mindset, which tells him that basketball is most likely not in his future.

Therefore, Hooks has a plan B.

“I want to be a firefighter,” Hooks said. “Saving lives or something.” For now, saving lives is going to have to wait, because Hooks has to save a Hornet program which is attempting to rise from the ashes.

“Hopefully we can get more wins, bigger crowds, better recruits and eventually be one of the top 25 teams in the country,” Hooks said.