November 3, 2016

Hancock Men's Basketball Opens Season Friday at Cuesta Tournament

The Allan Hancock College men's basketball team will tip off its 2016-17 season at 4 p.m. on Friday, November 4, against College of the Sequoias, the No. 11 team in the Northern California Preseason Poll. Headed into the three-day tournament hosted by Cuesta College, the Bulldogs are ranked No. 20 in the SoCal Preseason Poll. Fourth-year head coach Tyson Aye is excited to tip off the season off with his group of players.

"They have been working hard and they seem to be a very unselfish group. If that holds throughout the season, they can take us a long way," said Aye, who added his team was taller and longer than in previous years. "We have a lot of interchangeable pieces, and guys who can easily play different positions."

Aye welcomes back two returning starters in sophomore point guard Shane Carney and guard/forward Marcellus Garrick.

"Their progress, maturity and overall physicality are impressive. They play and act like returning starters," said Aye.

Garrick averaged 8.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. The six-foot-four Garrick shot 33 percent from 3-point range, including a game-winning 3-pointer in overtime against Santa Barbara City College.

"Besides Shane and myself, we have a few other sophomores. I feel like we have a lot more experience this year," said Garrick. "Players are buying into their roles. We all know we can contribute in our own way to help us succeed."

Carney averaged 12 points and 3.3 assists per game last season. The five-foot-nine guard hit 34 percent of his shots from 3-point range last year when the Bulldogs went 12-17.

"We have a lot to prove and a chance to redeem ourselves," said Carney. "We have better team chemistry this year, and we play well together. I am confident we will fulfill our potential."

Three players, who were with the program last year as redshirts, will play important roles this season for the Bulldogs. Sophomore forward Kevawn Lord transferred to Hancock from Cuesta where he averaged 5.2 points per game. Freshman guard Troy Bolden averaged 17 points and 10 rebounds his senior season at Hemet High School. Before moving to Hemet, Bolden played at Santa Maria High School alongside another Hancock redshirt freshman, Shemarr Parker. Parker, a six-foot-four forward, averaged 18 points and was an All-League First Team player for the Saints his senior year.

"Kevawn, Troy and Shemarr know our system, and they really helped bring our new players up to speed from the start," said Aye.

Transfer post player Dominic Jackson and freshman guard Nolan Willett are both expected to make an impact. Willett ranked in the top five in his league in assists and steals his junior and senior seasons at J Serra Catholic High School. The six-foot-eight Jackson averaged about six points and two rebounds per game at Central Wyoming College, where he also received a Region IX Academic Award.

"Dominic adds a post-presence on offense and defense we didn't have last year," said Carney. "As for Nolan, he pushes me to be a better player every practice."

If you ask the Bulldogs, they feel they have the players, passion and work ethic to earn the program's first postseason appearance in three years.

"We have the talent that can definitely make the playoffs as long as we play together, trust one another, work hard every day, and buy into the system," added Garrick.

Despite losing his top two scorers from last year's team in Matt Willkomm and Malik Rhodes, Aye feels he has the pieces he needs for a successful season. He says a few roles must still be determined.

"It'll be interesting to see who becomes the consistent outside shooter and our go to guy. We have a lot of people who can fill those roles, which is exciting," added Aye.

After playing College of the Sequoias on Friday, the Bulldogs are scheduled to face West Hills, the No. 14 team in the NorCal Preseason Poll, on Saturday, November 5, at 5 p.m. Hancock will close their run at the Cuesta Tournament on Sunday at 1 p.m. against West Valley.

Hancock will open the home portion of its schedule when the college hosts the second annual Home Motors Tournament from Nov. 18-20.