In 2013 the Santa Rosa Junior College men’s basketball team started out 3-6 and never looked back, accomplishing the unthinkable by winning its first state championship in school history and aspires to go back-to-back this year.
“Nobody really expected us to win state,” said head coach Craig McMillan. “We had so many guys improve so much and come though and play to their maximum ability at the end of the season.”
With a new season come new faces. Freshmen Molefi Thompson from Redwood High School is new to the team as well as Australian transplant Jacob Wilson.
Wilson, at a prep school in Florida when he discovered he was ineligible for the NCAA. He made his way to SRJC from a recommendation from an Ohlone College coach, where he visited SRJC and now plays for the defending State Championship team.
“It’s a good experience, and I learn from the guys coming back,” Wilson said.
Daniel Cresta from Santa Rosa High School, also joined the team this year. “To be on a team that is coming off a state championship season is a great challenge and privilege,” Cresta said.
Though they are new faces, with help from returning stars, the Bear Cubs are ready for this season. Another returning star Davone Oliver plans to work to get this team to another championship.
“It was probably one of the best feelings I ever had,” Oliver said on winning the state championship. “It was exciting from the whole start to finish.”
The Bear Cubs went an astounding 24-8 in in the season with a 12-2 conference record. When the buzzer went off, signaling the end to a historic season, the Bear Cubs were ecstatic.
“Winning the state title last year was incredible,” said returning player Corey Hammell. “I lost the state championship in high school and to get it back the next year was a dream come true.”
The Bear Cubs know it’s not going to be easy going back-to-back, but they are very capable of doing it.
“I think we have a competitive group,” McMillan said. He believes this team has a chance to be successful even though the team is not as deep on the bench as last year.
“We don’t have as much depth, so we don’t have a lot of margin for error against the top teams,” McMillan said.
Though early in the season, the Bear Cubs already have a couple beat-up players but McMillan says once everybody gets healthy and if they’re playing to their ability, the Bear Cubs can have a good team.
On Nov. 7 the season started and currently sit at 2-2.
The Bear Cubs next game is at 8 p.m. Dec. 4. against Marin College in Marin.
