2021-22 Season
Played in 13 games, including three starts…averaged 4.5 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.8 steals and 22.4 minutes per game…season-high and career-high tying 11 points came at home vs. Montana State…played a career-high tying 31 minutes in a win over UC Davis at the Golden 1 Center.
2020-21 Season
Played in eight games, including one start during his first season with the Hornets…did not play the final 11 games of the season…averaged 5.0 points, 1.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.9 steals and 19.7 minutes per game…shot 41% (14-34) from the field…scored in double figures in both home wins over Idaho…that included 11 points and three steals on Dec. 3, and 10 points, six assists and two steals on Dec. 5…his lone start came on Jan. 17 at Idaho State…had eight points, three assists, a block and steal in a double overtime home win against Montana on Jan. 23…had eight points and a steal at Saint Mary’s.
Prior to Sacramento State
Played two seasons (2018-20) at East Los Angeles College in Monterey Park, Calif…prior to that, he redshirted one season (2017-18) at UTEP of Conference USA…two-year starting guard for an East LA team that combined for a 53-6 overall record and a 17-1 mark in the South Coast Conference (North Division)…helped lead the Huskies to a pair of conference championships, including a 29-1 record as a sophomore…the Huskies advanced to the quarterfinal round of the California Community College Athletic Association state championships, but the tournament was cut short because of the coronavirus pandemic…a two-time first team all-conference selection…finished third in conference MVP voting as a sophomore…during his sophomore season, he was the team captain and started all 30 games at shooting guard while averaging 12.1 points, 2.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game…shot 43% (111-260) from the field and 42% (46-109) from the 3-point line…scored in double figures 21 times, including a career-high 24 points at Arizona Mesa…as a freshman, he averaged 10.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 0.9 steals per game…did not miss a game during his two-year stay at East LA College, and started 53 of those 59 games.
High School
A 2016 graduate of John W. North High School in Riverside, Calif…played his final two years with the varsity team, and helped the Huskies to Inland Valley League championships both seasons, a 54-9 overall record and 19-1 league mark…a two-time first team all-league selection…as a senior, he was named second team all-section, first team all-league and team captain for the Southern Section championship winning JW North squad that finished with a 30-5 record…that season, he averaged 13.1 points, 2.6 assists and 2.0 steals per game while shooting 48% from the field…as a junior, he averaged 9.4 points, 3.0 assists and 1.9 steals per game while shooting 48% from the field.
Personal
Son of Jenny Lake and Tony Highler…both parents are deceased…a communication studies major…played four years of AAU ball for Team Eleate in Riverside, Calif…starred in Last Chance U, a basketball documentary that was released on Netflix on March 10, 2021…the series explored East Los Angeles College (where Highler played JC ball) in the team's chase of a California state basketball championship.
