Rocklin’s Lavrenov gives Sac State a surge. How his game inspires Mike Bibby
The last time Mark Lavrenov was a freshman, he was a work in progress.
He still is, as a first-year player in the paint for Sacramento State with results both encouraging and emphatic, and Lavrenov is still scratching the surface of his enormous upside. Five years ago in Placer County, Lavrenov was a thick-bodied lad before the weight room transformed his body.
By the time he graduated last spring from Rocklin High School with a full scholarship to the NCAA Division I Hornets in hand, Lavrenov had grown beyond his 6-foot-8 and 220-pound frame. He had matured as a player as a throwback banger in the post to pair with skills that included a 3-point shot. His fierce disposition in competition — the scowl, the pumping of fists and the guttural yells after big plays — came in stark contrast to his off-court good nature and broad grins.
These days, it’s more of the same. Lavrenov is still the same guy, only much better. He has been pressed into starting duty by first-year Sac State coach Mike Bibby out of injury necessity and a need to feed off of his fire. Lavrenov has muscled inside as a rebounder and effective inside scorer with the ability to hit midrange or longer shots in elevating his game since his days as The Sacramento Bee’s 2024-25 All-Metro Player of the Year.
Lavrenov played his best game last Saturday inside Hornet Pavilion. He scored 17 points and had 17 rebounds to help spark a rallying, 93-89 overtime triumph of Northern Colorado. That effort helped keep Sac State in the hunt in the Big Sky Conference race.
Typical Lavrenov, he credited teammates and coaches for his game and seasonal success. That the Hornets were down three starters due to injury, and the youngest guy on the roster played beyond his years, inspired everyone in Hornets colors.
“We had a great week of practice and I felt confident,” Lavrenov said.
Bibby instructed his Hornets to feed the ball inside to Lavrenov during a spirited rally against the trees that clogged the lane for Northern Colorado. He responded, and so did the Hornets. They trailed by 18 with under 10 minutes to go, with ESPN calculating Sac State’s chances of winning at less than 1% at one point. Lavrenov’s 17 rebounds are the third-most in a game for the Hornets in their Division I era, which started in 1991.
On Thursday night, Lavrenov scored 26 points and had 12 rebounds in an 86-76 loss at Idaho. He is averaging nearly 14 points and 10 rebounds in Big Sky play.
“We love Mark,” said Hornets guard Prophet Johnson, who led Saturday’s scoring charge with 30 points. “You see that 17 and 17? That’s one of a kind right there, and he plays so hard, and he works out after practice all the time. He was prepared.”
Growing by leaps and bounds
Lavrenov has always been prepared.
Rocklin High coach Steve Taylor inserted the then-6-foot-4 Lavrenov into the Thunder’s varsity lineup as a wide-eyed freshman in the fall of 2021. And then the coach soaked in a magical career. By the time Lavrenov finished his prep career as four-year starter, he had set scores of records, finishing as the school’s all-time career scorer and rebounder in willing the Thunder to the playoffs, including the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division II crown last winter.
Lavrenov took basketball seriously, but not always himself. He was the tall guy in the middle of the student rooting section for home football games, his face painted Rocklin blue. He was the one in the middle of a choreographed dance routine in the gym, living it up and whooping it up as his peer students cheered him on.
On game night, Lavrenov was the one who threw elbows, threw down dunks and yanked down rebounds and threw outlet passes to start the fast break. Then he would towel off and become a man of the people. Lavrenov spoke to curious kids and adults, many who shook his hand in appreciation of his grit.
“Enjoy life” is how Lavrenov described his high school days. Taylor marveled at how much Lavrenov improved each year, adding another element to his game. Lavrenov was the type to plead Taylor to open the gym in the summer so he could put up 300 more shots and run sprints.
Lavrenov said he has always been inspired by his parents, Lesia and Yuri, telling The Bee last year, “They’re immigrants, and they’re hardworking, and that’s my why — why I get up and grind every day.”
Bibby needed one peek at Lavrenov to know
Lavrenov signed his national letter of intent with Sac State during his senior year at Rocklin, inherited by Bibby and his new staff. Bibby brought in 14 new players, 12 through the transfer portal.
Bibby didn’t know Lavrenov, but he had heard of him, and the former Sacramento Kings guard said he only needed to see his 6-8 banger in one workout to know he had a player.
“He’s a tough, tough kid, and I love the fight in him,” Bibby said. “He likes to rebound the ball, and we need rebounds. We’re trying to teach him on the fly, and he’s working so hard. Love to see it.”
Bibby added, “He’s a forward who can play anywhere, but he’s out of position at the 5 (in the post). He’s still doing a great job for us inside. He gives us the toughness that we need. He plays hard, plays smart. We really need him because he’s the only big we’ve got with the injuries we’ve had.”
‘Basketball is my passion’
Lavrenov competes in basketball because he savors a good scrap on the low block outrunning heavier guys down the floor. He enjoys the fundamentals of the sport, including setting screens. No one has to urge him to dive for a loose ball, either.
But it goes beyond that. Lavrenov is still pumping his fist and yelling to no one in particular after an inspired play because of what the sport means to him.
“Basketball is my passion, my hobby,” he said. “Just being out there with my guys, those are irreplaceable memories with irreplaceable people. I’ve had so much fun.”
Lavrenov said the team’s morale “was kind of down” after a seven-game losing streak amid a crush of injuries and in facing teams with experienced rosters.
Winning tends to cure a lot of ills, and the Hornets hit the road this week with two recent home victories to their credit. Sac State is 6-12 overall and 2-4 in the Big Sky entering Saturday night’s game at Eastern Washington. The Hornets start a four-game home stand on Jan. 29.
“We’ve kind of buckled down,” Lavrenov said after his 17/17 game. “Coach Bibby has stuck with us. His confidence never wavered with us. It feels great to win.”
Lavrenov is a freshman all over again, only with a more seasoned body and a great deal more wisdom. He added that it isn’t the size of the body that matters in this sport where the dirty work can be the difference between winning and losing. It’s the size of the fight.
“No matter how big you are, no matter how strong you are, hard always wins,” he said. “And if you have the heart, and you have the toughness, then you can be whatever you need to be. I don’t care that I’m undersized in the post. I’m young, too, but hard work and toughness has always works.”
This story was originally published January 22, 2026 at 1:43 PM.