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Life Christian Academy's Omari Maulana did not need a history lesson to know a coaching legend was on the other line.

He just knew there was something about Dr. Dave Holmquist, the longtime men's basketball coach at Biola University, by listening to him.

"I could just tell by the way he talked," Maulana said. "He knew what he was talking about, and I knew he'd be a coach I wanted to play for."

Well, the 6-foot-1 all-state point guard will now get that chance. Maulana announced Saturday night on Twitter that he had signed with the Eagles, an NCAA Division II member of the Pacific West Conference.

And their coach - Holmquist - is in his 41st season at the university, and just a few wins shy of 1,000 career victories.

"He is big time," Maulana said. "He knows a lot, and I can learn a lot from him."

Maulana has not only been one of the best guards out of Pierce County, he's been arguably the best player in the Class 2B ranks the past few seasons (and is now joining 1A).

As a junior, he averaged a career-best 23.0 points, 3.6 assists and 2.7 steals per game in leading Life Christian Academy to the state championship game in Spokane, losing to Brewster.

It was in January when Biola reached out to Maulana to gauge his interest in joining the program, located in La Mirada, California.

"It just started with the coaching staff ... and then it was the culture of the school," Maulana said. "And I know my faith will continue to grow there. It has the same environment as my high school, only bigger."

After talking for a couple of weeks, Holmquist called to offer the teenager a scholarship. He waited two weeks, but eventually signed.

"Everyone has told me through this process to go where I was most wanted," Maulana said.

It was soon after that when Maulana did a little research on his future coach - and saw his rich history.

"It was an opportunity not to miss out on," Maulana said.