Knights look to repeat as champs in PCAC
Last season the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference had four teams make the post season but San Diego ran away with the conference championship after going undefeated in conference action. San Diego, Miramar, Palomar and MiraCosta all went to the post season and in the end MiraCosta was the last team standing as the Spartans made a trip to the Elite Eight after posting a victory over San Diego in the sweet 16. This upcoming season it will be an intriguing race and it is an improved conference from top to bottom for the upcoming 2022-2023 season.
2022-2023 Signal The Light Basketball Pacific Coast Athletic Conference projection
San Diego (26-4): Last season the Knights had a standout season as head coach Andy Ground led the team to a 26 win season. The Knights went undefeated in conference action and were one of the elite teams in the state throughout the year. San Diego went into the post season as the fourth seed, picked up a win over Long Beach but suffered a loss against MiraCosta in the sweet 16 to end their season. Coming into the new year, Mitch Charlens returns to the program and the Knights will return one player from last years team. “6-8” Anthony Howell is the lone player to return as the front court player averaged 7.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest but will be one of the best bigs in the conference. San Diego will welcome in a lot of talent as “6-8” Anjay Cortez (transfer from Alabama A&M), “6-5” Kailen Rains (transfer CS Northridge), “5-11” Riley Jephet-Gekas (transfer from Sierra College), “6-5” Gus Seehausen (Transfer from Oakland City), “6-10” Chase Courtney (transfer from Arizona State), “6-10” Ben Todd, and “5-11” Lorenzo Wright are all transfers coming into the program. “6-4” Jaden lebel (Cathedral Catholic), “6-3” Albert Green (Franklin), “6-0” Kevin Bradley (Crenshaw), and “6-8” Denis Kamburov (Paifica Christian) will all look to contribute for the upcoming season.
Projection: Coach Mitch Charlens is back but what can we expect this upcoming season from the Knights? At the Socal Juco Jamboree they were one of the most talented teams across the state, but how will they gel throughout the season with their roles. The Knights are really deep and three players are coming from the division one level but does not always transition into instant success. We project the Knights will be a team that could make a deep run in the post season and are our favorites to win the Pacific Coast Conference for the 2022-2023 season.
STLB best college prospect: “6-10” Chase Courtney
San Diego Miramar (19-11): The Jets were a solid team all season long as Miramar won 19 games a year ago. Miramar showed that they were able to compete with solid teams all season long and finished conference action with a 10-6 record which put them in a three way tie for 2nd place. The Jets earned a 15th seed in the post season and picked up a first round win against Saddleback but lost in the 2nd round against West Los Angeles in the Southern California playoffs. This upcoming season, the Jets will return five players off a team that won 19 games a year ago but will have to find ways to replace Cam Berry who averaged 20 points per game last season. “6-8” Jacob Doffing returns for his second season after averaging 11.2 points and 7.7 rebounds in his freshman season. Doffing showed improved perimeter skills and will be a standout season for the Jets this upcoming season. “6-7” Jakob Milling is another player that we project will make a major impact this season. Milling is one of the most versatile players in the state and we project his numbers will go up after averaging 8.4 points and 9.9 rebounds per game last season. “6-3” Jake Elfstrom (5.2 points), “5-10” Alex Mirhosseini (6.4 points), and “6-5” Juame Arnal Diaz (2.3 points) will all be back for their second season. “5-9” Ian Schuster (transfer from Danville Area CC), “6-7” Prince Adjei (St. Augstine) will provide athleticism to the Jets, “6-2” Mike Bathelor (Phoenix Prep), “6-3” Paul Chuol (Orange Glen), “6-4” Charlie Gehler (St. Augustine), “6-2” Gaeb Perry (Phoenix Prep), “6-2” Anthony Madison (Arlington, TX) and “6-5” Elijah Randall (San Marcos) are all looking to contribute for the 2022-2023 season.
Projection: Coach Nick Gehler and his staff continue to pile up wins year in and year out within the San Diego Miramar program. The Jets will be a team that could be a dark horse within the Pacific Coast Conference for the upcoming season. Miramar has the pieces to play with anyone within the conference and with the pieces they have coming back the Jets should be a very good team. Doffing is a solid player and we love the versatility of Jakob Milling. Mirhosseini is a point guard that plays hard and brings toughness to the team and Batchelor and Gehler have the ability to stretch the floor this season. We project the Jets to have a great season and finish in the upper half of the conference and finishing 2nd place for the 2022-2023 season.
STLB best college prospect: “6-7” Jakob Milling
MiraCosta (17-15): Last season was an up and down regular season for MiraCosta College as the Spartans struggled to find consistency in the win column. MiraCosta struggled in non conference part of their schedule and limped to a 3-7 record. The Spartans played a difficult schedule and it looked like the Spartans were going to struggle as conference play rolled around. After starting conference action with two straight losses, the Spartans won six of their next eight and were giving themselves a shot to make the post season. MiraCosta continue to play hard and despite two late losses against Grossmont and San Diego the Spartans earned a post season bid after finishing 2nd place in Pacific Coast Conference action. MiraCosta earned the 21st seed and became the road darlings of the 2021-2022 post season. The Spartans picked up road wins against Cerro Coso, Santiago Canyon and then went on the road and beat San Diego City College to earn a place at the Elite Eight. MiraCosta went on to lose at the Elite Eight in Lemoore but what a run it was for the Spartans. Coming into the new season, head coach Ryan Frazer has left to Pasadena after their deep post season run and Robert Robinson begins a new era as head coach of the Spartans. Robinson is coming over from East Los Angeles College and will return one player off the team that went to the Elite Eight. “6-0” Jordan Campbell is the lone returner to the Spartans after the guard averaged 5.0 points per game last season. MiraCosta will be a team full of fresh faces and the Spartans have put together a very intriguing roster for the upcoming season. “6-2” DJ Jackson is coming in from Alabama State and will be a standout guard in the state. “6-4” Donovan Freeman (Casper College), “6-2” Isaiah Lewis (Chicago State), Ty Cox (Pacific University – Oregon), and “6-3” Jalen Zeno and “6-0” Jordan Campbell will all be sophomores for the Spartans. “6-8” Javion Langston (San Gabriel Academy), “6-2” Lee Hubbard Jr (Archbishop Riordan), “6-6” Dylan Cabs (Mayfair), “6-5” Kobe Smith (Tyner Acadmey), and “6-7” Remington Rofer (Loyola HS) will all look to contribute this season as freshmen.
Projection: Coming into the new season it will be a brand new team for the Spartans. MiraCosta has the potential to be a solid squad as Jackson, Campbell and Lewis will provide depth in the back court for the Spartans. We really like Langston and Cabbs as they add versatility to the lineup and the Spartans will look to have a solid standout season as they have length and will be very competitive. We project MiraCosta to be in the upper half of the conference and finish in 3rd place for the 2022-2023 season.
STLB best college prospect: “6-8” Javion Langston and “6-6” Dylan Cabs
Palomar (18-11): Last season Palomar was a team that had a solid season. The Comets started off the season winning seven of their first ten games and picked up wins against Long Beach and Saddleback. As conference rolled around, the Comets were a team that could play with anyone with conference. Palomar ended conference action in a three way tie for 2nd place with a 10-6 record. The Comets went into the post season as a 14th seed but suffered a first round loss against Cypress. As the new season comes into play, Ivan Patterson has taken over the program and will return seven players from last seasons team. “6-3” Chad Robinson (11.6 points), “6-0” Andrew Milot (10.8), “6-1” Clyde Harris (9.1 points), “6-3” Trevor McNabb (3.7 points), “5-11” Mickey Chew (6.9 points), “6-4” Joe Ogbebor (4.3 points) and “6-5” Nate Washington (3.0 points) return for the season. “6-2” Ciro Baeza is a transfer from Odessa College that can shoot the basketball from deep. “6-5” Jaden Mathis (Pasadena), “6-8” Kryztian Walton (Temecula Valley) and “6-0” Dylan Wells (Sage Creek) are all freshmen that will look to contribute for the 2022-2023 season.
Projection: Palomar returns two players that averaged in double figures a year ago and five other players that had solid roles from a team that won 18 games from a year ago. Robinson, Milot and Harris have some they can score the basketball and the addition of Baeza gives them a very good shooter. Walton will come into the program and help the frontline this season. We expect the Palomar team to be fairly competitive and have a chance to play in the upper half of the conference. We project the Comets to finish in 4th place for the 2022-2023 season.
STLB best college prospect: “6-8” Kryztian Walton
Southwestern (12-16): Last season the Jaguars were a team that had an up and down season as Southwestern picked up 12 wins. Southwestern struggled scoring the basketball and finished the 2021-2022 with a 9-7 record in conference action and finished in 5th place. The Jaguars were a team that got better as the season moved along and finished the season 5-1 in their final six games of the season. Coming into the new season, Tyrone Shelley takes over as head coach and will look to build off the late season success. The Jaguars will return four players off last seasons team for the upcoming season. “6-7” Paris Smith (7.5 points), “6-1” Damascus Sanders (6.8 points), “6-3” Karl Ashley (3.2 points), and “6-6” Harlan Nichols return for the second seasons. “6-2″ Jason Danso is a transfer from San Diego Christian, ” 6-5″ Christian Gamboa (La Jolla HS), “6-6” Devin Dunn (Oceanside), and “6-10” Kaleb Wilson (Mt. Miguel) will be freshmen that could contribute for the upcoming season.
Projection: Southwestern will look to be a competitive team for the upcoming season. Coach Shelley and company looked like an improved team at the showcase and should be a team that will be competitive for the upcoming season. Sanders showed he can score the basketball and the Jaguars have size in their front court. We project the Jaguars will be in the middle of the conference and finish in 5th place for the 2022-2023 season.
STLB best college prospect: “6-6” Harlan Nichols
San Diego Mesa (14-12): Last season the Olympians had trouble finding the win column consistently after starting the season off 4-0. San Diego Mesa floated around .500 after their hot start but struggled to put together winning streaks. In conference action the Olympians finished an even 8-8 and finished in 6th place and missed the post season. As the new season approaches, the Olympians will return four players from last seasons team. “6-2” Daron Taylor (7.0 points), “6-0” Jaiden Pete (5.8 points), “6-0” Javen Woodall (5.9 points) and “6-6” Riley Harris will all provide sophomore experience for San Diego Mesa. “6-6” Dallas Rider (Coronado HS), “5-10” Steve Stinson (San Diego), “5-9” Quajon Young (Mandarin HS), “6-6” left handed Sevea Blackburn (Trinity HS), “6-3” Jonathan Harris (Point Loma), and “5-10” Luke Beesley (High Tech) are all freshman that could contribute.
Projection: The Olympians lost a lot of scoring from last years team and will figure out on the fly where it will come from. San Diego Mesa has some depth in the back court but the Olympians are not very big in the front court and could struggle against good rebounding teams. We project the Olympians will be in the middle of the pack within the conference for the upcoming season and finish 5th place in the Pacific Coast Conference for the 2022-2023 season.
STLB best college prospect: “6-6” Dallas Rider
Grossmont (7-19): The Griffins went through non conference action with a 3-9 record and struggled in the 2021-2022 season. Grossmont finished conference play with a 5-11 record and finished in 7th place in Pacific Coast action. The Griffins will return four players for the upcoming season and leading the list of returners is “6-3” Samuel Stewart IV after the sophomore averaged 10.6 points per game a year ago. “6-2” Malik Ogude (4.2 points), “6-4” Calvin Payne (5.4 points), and “6-2” pass first point guard Ryan Yonder return to the lineup for their sophomore seasons. “5-7” Daevin Celaya (Mountain HS), “5-11” Spencer Hall (Mira Mesa HS), “6-2” Tyrone Lester (Patrick Henry HS), “6-2” Tyler Snell (Liberty Charter), “6-4” Sebastian Vann (West Hills HS), and “6-4” Jahari Hill (Helix HS) will all be freshmen this upcoming season.
Projection: Grossmont comes into the season as a team that has four players coming back and a lot of players listed on the roster that have a redshirt next to their name. Five freshmen that have redshirted come into the program so it will be interesting to see how the chemistry throughout the season. Yonder is a solid point guard and Payne plays hard for the Griffins. The front line is thin and Grossmont could struggle against more athletic teams throughout the season. We project that the Griffins will be a team towards the bottom half of the conference and finish in 7th place for the 2022-2023 season.
STLB best college prospect: “6-4” Calvin Payne
Cuyamaca (7-21): The Coyotes struggled to find the win column throughout the 2021-2022 season as Cuyamaca finished the seaoson with 7 wins. In conference play, Cuyamaca ended the season with a 4-12 record and missed the post season. The Coyotes will return four players coming into the new season and two of them averaged in double figures. “6-7” PJ Brinkman averaged 14.4 points and will provide depth and a scoring threat in the front court for Cuyamaca. “6-6” Anthony McManus will return to the lineup after averaging 13.0 points per game and will be another player that will be looked upon to score the basketball. “6-0” Jelani Shelton (6.5 points) and “6-0” Nathan Shahatit will both provide sophomore experience to the Coyotes. “6-3” Sergio Franso (Grossmont), “6-4” Jorge Garcia (Montgomery), “6-4” Camrien Hunt (Steele Canyon), “6-4” Ethan James (Box Hill), “6-3” Elijah Johnson (Balboa Prep), “6-9” Leo Lindemose (Eagle Rock), “6-2” Xaiver Rubio (Eastlake) and “5-9” AZ Simpson (Steele Canyon) will look to contribute.
Projection: Cuyamaca will look to have an improved season as they have two players that averaged in double figures coming back. Brinkman and McManus are two scoring threats and we really like Ethan James for the Coyotes to have a standout freshman season. Lindemose is raw and Rubio gives them a slasher and someone able to create off the bounce. The Coyotes will look to have an improved season but we still project them in the bottom half of the conference and we have them finishing 8th place for the 2022-2023 season.
STLB best college prospect: “6-6” Anthony McManus
Imperial Valley (0-24): Last season was a rough season for the Arabs as Imperial Valley lost all 24 games and missed the post season. For the upcoming season we do not know much about Imperial Valley but the Arabs will return two players from a year ago. “6-1” Carlos Godinez (6.1 points) and Leonardo Arellano (3.3 points) will both be back for their sophomore seasons. “6-3” Israel Bynum is a name that the coaching staff brought up with the newcomers coming in for the 2022-2023 season.
Projection: The Arabs are a team that we did not see at the juco jamboree but we do know that they have two returning players and will be slim in the front line in the conversation that we had with head coach Andrew Robinson. Bynum will bring versatility to the line up but we dont project that Imperial Valley will be in the upper half of the conference. We project the Arabs to finish in 9th place for the 2022-2023 season in the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference.
STLB best college prospect: unknown
STLB 2022-2023 Pacific Coast Athletic Conference All Conference team
G: DJ Jackson (MiraCosta
G: Kailen Rains (San Diego)
F: Jakob Milling (SD Miramar)
F: Anthony Howell (San Diego)
C: Chase Courtney (San Diego)
Other standouts: Chad Robinson (Palomar), Ciro Baeza (Palomar) Kryztian Walton (Palomar), Paris Smith (Southwestern), Damascus Sanders (Southwestern), Anjay Cortez (San Diego), Anthony Howell (San Diego), Lorenzo Wright (San Diego), Kevin Bradley (San Diego), Riley Harris (SD Mesa), Malik Ogude (Grossmont), Anthony McManus (Cuyamaca), Ethan James (Cuyamaca), PJ Brinkman (Cuyamaca), Jaob Doffing (SD Miramar), Isaiah Lewis (MiraCosta), Dylan Cabs (MiraCosta), Javion Langston (MiraCosta)
