When SBCC hits the floor on Friday afternoon for its first men’s basketball game, energy won’t a problem.
“It’s our first game and everybody will be jacked up,” said 18th-year head coach Morris Hodges, who has 11 freshmen on his roster. “The adrenaline will be flowing.”
The Vaqueros open at 1 p.m. against Victor Valley in the Glendale Tournament.
SBCC returns four players from last year’s 11-15 squad, which went 5-7 and finished fifth in the WSC North. Mark Keeten, a 6-footer from Corona and the lone returning starter, was the second-highest freshman scorer in the state last year at 22.5 points. The other returners are Joe Bregante (Santa Barbara High), Bo Rodriguez (Dos Pueblos) and Brandon Greene.
Hodges said his starting lineup will include Rodriguez (6-1 forward), along with newcomers Lucky Teeguarden (6-4 guard), Daniel Koches (6-4 guard), Nate Graham (5-11 guard) and 6-8 Ryan Gosselin from Carpinteria High.
“Lucky has been shooting the ball well from the outside, with some range,” Hodges noted. “Daniel as been a solid all-around permiter guy and Ryan gives us some good size athleticism inside. As he gets more experience at this level, I think he’s going to blossom.”
Richard Somdah, a 6-3 freshman from Houston, will be one of the first players off the bench, along with Keeten and Bregante. Keeten shot 82 percent from the free-throw line last year and led the Vaqueros in assists at 4.2.
“I’m hoping we shoot the ball better from the perimeter and have a few more threats than we’ve had in the past,” said Hodges. “We’re going to try to be a little more aggressive and create some more turnovers by extending our pressure. We want to try and find more ways to get easy buckets.
“Our big question mark is our point guard play.”
The 3-point line has been moved back a foot to 20 feet, 9 inches.
“I think it will make a difference,” Hodges said. “I don’t know if anyone will shoot it less, I just think the results are going to be different. I’ve always thought it was too close, so I’m really curious to see how it pans out.”
The Vaqueros will play in six tournaments, including the 36th annual SBCC Classic on Dec. 11-13. They also have back-to-back home games on Nov. 21-22 against Southwestern and Palomar. Randy Moharram, who played for Hodges at SBCC, has joined the coaching staff, which also includes Chris Dalley and Peter McGoey.
“We want to get the guys to play as a team and get some experience in game situations,” said Hodges. “That’s always tough for freshmen at this level. The learning curve is increased.
“Our keys to success will be generating turnovers through our defense and being able to finish on those opportunities. We also need to shoot the ball well from the perimeter.”
