Since the 2015-16 season officially begins a week from today, on November 2nd, I feel this is the best time to come out with my preseason rankings. This year should be one of the most exciting and competitive seasons in a long time, with almost every program stepping up in the talent department. This preseason ranking is solely for entertainment and educational purposes only, and is in no way affiliated with the CCCAA or any other association. It is purely my opinion based on my discussions from around the basketball community and my own personal observations and gut feeling. I appreciate you taking the time to read our blog. The ranking will be followed by last year's season record.
#1) City College of San Francisco (21-9)
CCSF has once again loaded up with an impressive roster of high level talent. Sporting News has them ranked #13 in the nation, ahead of any other west coast programs, which helps me feel confident in putting them as my #1 preseason program in NorCal.
It's hard to say that 2014-15 was a down year for CCSF, having won the most competitive conference in the state, the Coast-North Conference which included 6 playoff teams. But we could all tell, from a talent standpoint, that CCSF was not quite what we have grown to expect from previous seasons. That being said, the Rams had a great year earning the conference crown on it's way to a third round exit in the state playoffs. Coach Labagh and staff seems to have gathered the recruiting class they expected in 2014, but only a year later as sophomore transfers for his 2015 squad. The group is highly touted starting with 6'8 245 Jalen Canty, who earned Fifth Team honors in the Sporting News Preseason Super Sophs list. Canty transfers back to the Bay Area after a semester at Casper CC where he averaged 10.5 pts & 6 rebs. Also joining the Rams as transfers are 6'8 Tulsa transfer and now Oregon State committee Keondre Dew, 6'6 Shon Briggs (Casper CC; 10.1 pts & 5.7 rebs), Keanu Peters (Casper CC; 4.8 pts & 3.9 asst) and speedy PG Trevor Dunbar (Washington State). Other sophomores, returning from last years CCSF team are 6'5 Jarrod Nodar (9.4 pts, 43% 3pt & 3.5 rebs), 6'4 Troy Thompson (9.8 pts & 4.2 rebs), 6'9 Jashandeep Kahlon (6.4 pts & 5.2 rebs) and 6'6 Ladonovan Wilder (2.2 pts & 2 rebs). Having so many talented and experienced sophomores should keep CCSF at the top for most the season. However, Coach Labagh did not forget about bringing in some freshman talent by adding 6'7 Kendall Mcintosh (Freedom HS), 6'1 Justin Brown (St Joseph Notre Dame HS), 6'2 Zach Copeland (Berkeley High), 6'3 David Parsons (Sacred Heart), 6'1 Jason Smith (Marshall High) and 6'3 Armani Hall (Washington HS).
This year's team seems to have a great balance of quickness, shooting, size, length and athleticism that should make it a tough match-up for most teams. They will not waste anytime this year as they open up against one of NorCals other top programs, Yuba, on November 6th at 6pm in the CCSF Tournament.
For a unique early look at the 2015-16 CCSF squad, check out this video from ballislife.com & Shift Team.
#2 Fresno City College (28-4)
Making 2015-16 look like 'the-year-of-the-ram' FCC earns my #2 preseason spot. Sporting News puts them at #15 in their preseason national poll, putting them as the 2nd and only other California school that made their list. I'm not going to argue with such an established writing staff, nor the tradition that FCC has earned. The Rams constantly find themselves atop the state rankings, and usually it is without having any elite talent on their roster. But this year Coach Madec has one of his most talented teams since moving to Fresno. This talent is headlined by the emerging super sophomore Josh Sykes. The 6'8 versatile forward has opened up everyone's eyes this summer, earning a spot on the Sporting News 2nd Team Preseason Super Sophs list. Joining Sykes from last year's team is the athletic 6'4 B.J. Shleton (8.7 pts & 3.2 rebs), 6'1 Nick Hilton (7.6 pts & 2 rebs), 6'4 Jaffrey Stillman (4 pts & 2.8 rebs) and 6'1 Evan Silahn (3.9 pts). 6'7 DeAngelo Ashley comes back after redshirting last year. He averaged 3 pts & 3 rebs two years ago for the Rams. Another redshirt joins the team, 6'5 Terrence Weinecke should add to the Rams depth. Transferring in from North Idaho College is 5'9 Will Dorsey from Rainier Beach HS in Seattle. The point guard averaged 11pts & 3 assists during his freshman campaign at the Idaho school.
Fresno has always been what appears as an overachieving program, based on what you see 'on paper'. But with the elite level athleticism and talent they seem to possess this year, it looks like they could be scary if everything falls into place. The only weakness FCC seems to have each year is playing in the CVC conference. As most teams are improving as they play a competitive conference schedule, the Rams seem to coast through conference play that has only a couple teams that pose a challenge. But this year the CVC seems vastly improved, so the stars may be moving into alignment for FCC.
Making November 6th a very intriguing day for juco basketball, Fresno opens the season vs. Napa at the CCSF tournament at 4pm.
#3 Chabot College (17-13)The Gladiators have completely reloaded adding a completely new team for the 2015-16 season. Having a sophomore-heavy roster last year and apparently not satisfied with a 2nd place finish in the Coast-North Conference & early playoff exit, Coach Aye and staff have started with a clean slate. The expectations seem to be high, as the Gladiators still have a taste in their mouth from the Final Four appearence in 2014. From what I'm hearing in the bball community, and have seen in the preseason scrimmages, it seems that this strategy is paying off. Heavy with sophomore transfers, Chabot also brings in a couple of standout freshman as well. Speedy PG Larry Jones (James Logan HS) & 6'6 Dalvin Guy (McClymonds) join forces, and 6'5 Wykeem Randle (Willowridge HS) could develop into one of the top freshman in the state this year. Dynamic 6'2 guard DeAndre Davis (West Los Angeles CC; 25.6 pts & 5.8 assists), 6'6 Keith Phillips (Macomb CC; 17.1 pts & 8.8 rebs), 6'7 Drelan Tripplett (Allen County CC; 6pts & 4.7 rebs), 6'7 Robert Blunt (Glendale CC; 2.4 pts & 4.6 rebs), 6'3 Deshun Garrett (Redlands CC), 6'6 Shamil Sharma (Diablo Valley CC), 7'0 Seth Cox (Wabash Valley CC) & 6'5 Marcus Booker (Alameda CC) lead the list of transfers to Chabot. Other freshman include Courtney Anderson (Westwood HS), Hayden Ordone (West High) and Melvin Ware (Hayward HS).
With so many transfers one will wonder how this team will mesh together this year. But the talent is there, along with quickness, size and shooting. The Coast-North conference will provide enough competition to test Chabot up into the playoffs making them another team that will be scary as the season progresses.
Chabot will host Siskiyous College to tip-off the season on November 12th at 8pm.
For an early look at the Chabot Gladiators, check out this highlight video courtesy of NorCal SportsTV from the preseason showcase.
#4 Yuba College (15-10)Yuba comes back for 2015-16 with a very impressive roster. As impressive as that roster is, they return three big-time talents from last year in which they did not make the playoffs. But the talent is definitely there, and if they can figure out how to play together and win games, this could be a very dangerous group. The group is headed by Iowa State commit Manny Malou (14.7 pts & 8.5 rebs). The 6'9 versatile forward earned a spot on the Sporting News Preseason 1st Team Super Soph list and is regarded as a future NBA prospect. Leading scorer and Utah commit Jo Jo Zamora (18.3 pts & 4 assts) returns along with the talented 6'7 Vasije Saraba (16.4 pts & 5.8 rebs). This is quite a bit of fire power returning for Yuba, and should help them start the season much better than they did last year. Adding to the impressive returning group is a solid list of newcomers and transfers. 6'7 James Hadnot (Ranger CC; 5.7 pts & 2.7 rebs), 6'5 Kevin Daniels (Sierra JC; 3.8 pts), 6'10 Eric Schieve (Marysville HS), 6'4 Maurice Trotter (Fairfield HS), 6'8 Jihad Woods (Vanden HS), 6'0 Xavier Sims (Eastmoor), 6'6 Jalen Davis (River City HS), Isaac Thornton 6'6 (Oakmont HS), 6'1 Cariun Williams (Patterson HS), 6'6 Finn Whetstone (Christian Brothers HS), 6'11 Sukhman Sandu (Canada).
With the best players on the team being returning sophomores the 49ers should have a better start to their season this year, which is vital for them getting back into the playoffs. They definitely have the talent and size to compete with anyone, and begin the season against CCSF on November 6th at 6pm at the CCSF tournament. This will be a chance to prove themselves as more than just an impressive roster, as this tournament features 4 of my top 5 teams. Coming away with at least 2 wins on opening weekend will definitely show that they are a force this season.
#5 College of Marin (26-4)Marin made serious noise last year by winning the Bay Valley conference and advancing to the elite 8 in the state playoffs. This year they have a great group of returnees and a great recruiting class. The question mark is, now that Coach Granucci has resigned, will the team stay intact or fall apart? I would have placed them higher on the list had the coaching situation not been an issue, but since the talent is there on the court, and Marshall Collins is moving in as head coach (6 days before the start of the season) I am going to keep them at #5 for now.
Returning from last year are 6'2 Luke Chavez (11.4 pts), George Johnson (9.5 pts), Willie Rooks (9.1 pts) & 6'8 Bobby Reeves (4.4 pts & 3 rebs). The incoming class is listed as 6'1 Tyrian Davis (Reno, NV), 6'3 Noah Everly (San Marin, CA), 6'5 Kenneth Modica, 6'5 Robert Colton (Riordan HS), 6'7 Brandon Barrett (Benicia HS), 6'7 Jarred Treandus (Antioch HS), and 6'8 Kareem Ndiaye (Riordan HS).
We will get to see just who sticks around and how they adjust after a coaching change, as they open up in the tough CCSF tournament on November 6th, against Mt San Antonio at 8pm.
For an early look at the College of Marin team, check out this video for an in-depth coverage of the fall preseason showcase with plenty of highlights and introductions.
#6 Monterey Peninsula College (13-12)MPC is looking to be the top team in the Coast-South Conference this year and compete with the best in NorCal as well. Having a disappointing season last year, MPC brings back a solid group of returnees and newcomers. California JC ball is typically a guard dominated game, and MPC brings back one of the state's most formidable duos in Isaac Clark & Deondre Otis. Both Isaac Clark (14.9 pts, 39% 3pt, & 3.8 rebs) and Deondre Otis (7.8 pts & 3.6 assts) look vastly improved which could be scary for opposing defenses. The returning group also features 6'5 Jaskarn Bajwa (3.2 pts), 6'5 Isiah Brown (3.9 pts) & 6'2 Kyle Hieb giving MPC enough experience to start the season strong. The solid list of newcomers includes: 6'7 Ryan Donnelly (CSU Stanislaus), 6'6 D.J. Johnson (Olympic HS), 6'5 Adriann Knox (Salinas HS).
MPC opens the season against Foothill on November 5th at 4pm in the San Jose City College Tournament.
#7 Modesto Junior College (6-20)Potentially having one of the biggest turnarounds from last season is MJC. As mentioned before, California JC ball is a game that it's necessary to have really good guards in order to succeed. Coach Brogan and staff have a couple of the best guard combos this year in Zach Gonzales (13.9 pts & 4.2 rebs) & incoming freshman Mason Washington (Modesto Christian HS). These two guards will be difficult to handle for the opposition as both are talented and have great size for their position. Adding more depth to the backcourt is CSU Stanislaus transfer Brennan Pope. Other newcomers include 6'7 Michael Hatfield (Manteca HS), 6'4 Kevin Howland-Wolaridge (Bullard HS), 6'5 Brandon Moss (Bear Creek HS), 6'1 Ravon Alexander (Lincoln HS), Donovan Galloway (Beyer HS), 6'1 Elijah Tuando (West HS), & 6'4 Blake Houser (Downey HS). Returning from last season is 6'2 Chris Salazar & 6'7 Joe Hamilton (6.8 pts & 3. rebs).
Modesto opens the season on November 7th at Cabrillo with tip-off scheduled at 7pm.
#8 Cosumnes River College (23-8)Coach James Giacomazzi has moved on the Las Positas, and Coach Devin Aye, formerly of Lassen, is now at the helm in Elk Grove. But what do you do when you get a job only a couple months before season starts, with only one returner still around from the previous season? You rebuild and reload, very quickly. This year's Hawks will be young, with only two sophomores listed on their roster, but they have the talent to remain one of the top programs in the North. The sole returner from last year's Big 8 champion team is 6'4 Will White (3.1 pts). The list of newcomers include: Michael Murphy (Valley HS), 6'1 Kenny Doss (Lincoln College; 8.5 pts & 3.8 rebs), Johann Tate Jr. (Pleasant Grove HS), Leondre Lintz (Monterey Trail HS), Diante Noel (Acadiana HS), Victor Wariso (Monterey Trail HS), Michael Briscoe (River City HS), 6'1 Trevor Hooper (Washington Union HS), Gor Mikayelyan (Cordova HS), 6'7 Isaiah Simon (Florin HS), 6'4 Phil Morgan (Natomas HS), 6'5 Gerard Andrus (North Side HS), 6'9 Bakari Bradford (Laguna Creek HS) & 6'10 Lejae Thompson (Valley HS).
This year's squad will be young, but looks to have a lot of talent and deep bench. CRC opens up on the road vs. Feather River College on November 9th at 7pm.
For an early look at the 2015-16 CRC Hawks here is some highlights courtesy of NorCal SportsTV from the preseason showcase.
#9 Cabrillo College (15-12)Cabrillo needed to do some serious reloading after a solid sophomore class has moved on. But Coach Marcopulos and staff are always known to bring in solid talent each year, and this year they haven't disappointed the loyal fans of Aptos. The sole returner from last year's third place conference finisher is 6'5 Noah Wheeler. The list of incoming talent includes 6'5 Logan Rooney (Arcata HS), 6'0 Solomon Taylor (Wekiva HS), 6'0 Randy Motilalsingh (Lyman HS), 6'0 Giani Hollie (Findley University), 6'7 Brett Reed (The Woodlands College Park HS), 6'4 Malcolm Stevenson (Wekiva HS), Lucan Lenior (France), Kyle Snowden (Soquel HS), 6'4 Demetrius Rose (Detroit Community HS), 6'6 Joe Maleta (Saint Francis HS), 6'8 Shelton Black (Compton HS), 6'5 Alex Shearer (Soquel HS), 6'8 Stephan Ammentorp (Union HS), & 6'2 Tristan Hodges (Soquel HS).
Cabrillo opens the season on November 7th against Modesto at 7pm in Aptos.
#10 Merritt College (25-7)Coach Miller and staff are coming off a great season after earning another Final Four appearance. The only downside is that the T-birds have zero returners from last years team. So the 2015 roster is composed of 14 freshman that will need to grow quickly in order for Merritt to continue their success. But this recruiting class looks very solid with 6'2 Tyrell Alcorn (El Cerrito HS), 6'6 Lewis Hayes (Chavez HS), 6'5 Lamont Banks (St. Joseph HS), 6'9 Zach Christian (Lynwood HS), 6'0 Omari Brown (Sacred Heart Cathedral), Karim Helalili (Tunisia), 6'10 Matthew Thomas (Newark Memorial), 6'3 Kenyon Williams (Brookside Christian HS), 6'3 Ian Luellan (Inderkum HS), 6'5 Malik Thompson (Deer Valley HS), 6'4 AJ Benson (Pacific Hills HS), 6'3 Oliver Davis (Valley Christian HS), & 6'5 Andrew Pierson (Berkeley HS).
Merritt has some pieces this year, but only time will tell if their youth will be able to adjust quickly to the college game. I think by the time conference begins that Merritt will be one of the top teams in the Bay Valley Conference. We will get to witness the early look at this year's T-birds as Merritt opens up the season on November 5th vs. San Jose City College in the San Jose City Tipoff tournament.
#11 Butte College (18-9)The oftentimes overlooked and underrated Butte College Roadrunners could very well be one of the top 5 or 6 teams in my rankings, but it's just too difficult to tell right now without getting a chance to see them play yet. They have won the GVC conference two years in a row and look to make that streak grow to three with another great group of players. Returning is 6'7 Michael Shoemaker (11.9 pts & 6.5 rebs) and 6'7 Cameron Moore (2.7 pts & 2 rebs). Adding to the their sophomore experience are two transfers, 6'10 Vladimir Lazarevic (Seminole State CC) and 6'5 Travis Stevens (Palomar JC, 2.3 pts). The incoming freshman include 6'7 Brandon Sheppard (Jackson, CA), David Richardson (Warren, OH), 6'3 Tre'Quan Burnett (Gary, IA), 6'5 Josiah Wood (Reno, NV), 6'4 Jared Stidham (Chico, CA), 6'1 Terry Clarendon (Rialto, CA), 6'0 Danny Lewis (Marysville, CA), and 6'0 Trey Foster (Charlotte, NC).
Butte has has a history of success, and it looks like this year they could have one of their most successful seasons. They open up the season in the Las Positas Tournament on November 5th against Diablo Valley at 1pm.
#12 Cañada College (24-7)Cañada Coach Mike Reynoso is coming off a season to remember after losing in overtime to eventual state Champion Saddleback in the State Final Four. The Colts took the state by surprise last year and almost took the state title in the process. But 2014-15 will not be a one-hit-wonder for the Redwood City school, the Colts have brought in another great recruiting class to replace a bevy of talent that has moved on. I am doing this ranking, assuming that Crisshawn Clark is not suiting up this year to join forces with his teammates, otherwise I would have ranked Cañada much higher. But focusing on the players who have decided to play in 2015-16, the Colts still have a very impressive group, most notably USF transfer Frankie Ferrari. 6'0 Jacqui Biggins comes back to the Bay Area after a year at CSU Dominguez Hills and should be another great addition to the backcourt. Other sophomores returning from last year's Final Four team include 6'4 Brian Garrett (6.1 pts & 1.7 rebs) and 6'5 Rodrigo Puliceno (6.9 pts & 5.7 rebs). Coach Reynoso has brought in a solid group of freshman with 6'7 Chris Bene (Sequoia HS), 6'8 Case Durfrane (Half Moon Bay HS), 6'2 Paul Smoot (San Mateo, CA), and 6'5 Andre Robinson (San Mateo, CA).
We will get to witness the Colts for the first time this season on November 6th in the Cuesta tournament as they face Fullerton College at 6pm.
#13 Diablo Valley College (17-13)DVC should have a solid season, and bring back an impressive core from last year's playoff team. Coach Coggimiglio always makes it difficult for opposing teams and defenses, and with six sophomores he should have a group that can work his system. Returnees from last year are 6'7 Jaques Carraway (6.2 pts & 3.4 rebs), 6'4 Spencer Clark (5.9 pts & 5.5 rebs), 6'7 Damien Banford (5.8 pts & 4.3 rebs) and 6'0 Jerrell Handley. Adding to the experience are transfers 6'4 Reggie Arthur-Mixon (American River College; 7.4 pts & 2.2 rebs) and 6'2 Troy Owens (American River College; 2.0 pts). Incoming freshman to Concord are 6'2 Leon Williams (Solano CC), 6'4 Steven Daily (College Park HS), 6'6 Kevin Crosno (College Park HS), and 6'2 Remy Dillard (Bishop Manouge).
The Vikings open up the season against Butte in the Las Positas Tournament, on November 5th at 1pm.
#14 San Jose City College (26-4)The returning Coast-South Conference champs will need to have reloaded, after only returning two players from last year's 3rd round playoff team. Coach Carr is known to bring in a great group of talent each year, but as of right now, just how good the Jaguars will be this year is still unknown. Returning are 6'7 Lucious Brown (5.5 pts & 2.6 rebs) and 6'10 Akil Douglas (3.1 pts & 2.5 rebs). Both newcomers should take on a much bigger role this year after sharing minutes with so many players last year. Other newcomers include DeVante Baisa (Alaska Anchorage Univ), 6'2 Brian King (Roosevelt HS), 6'10 Jonah Underwood (San Jose, CA), 6'1 Kameron Vales (Brookside Christian HS), and 6'3 Sean Moore (Simeon HS).
Speed City gets to showcase their mostly new roster in their tip-off tournament on November 5th against Merritt.
#15 - TIE
Las Positas College (16-13)What do you get when you combine a playoff team with many returnees, and a new coach with a winning tradition? You have a team that could make some noise this year. Coach James Giacommazi take over for the Hawks in Livermore after winning the Big 8 conference last year. What he also has is six returnees from last years team that started to shine at the end of the season. Coming back are leading scorer 6'4 Mckayle Harnell (13.2 pts & 4.5 rebs), 6'0 Cameron Moses (10.0 pts & 3.9 assts), 6'2 Giordi V'soske (4.5 pts), 6'3 Darius Limbrick (3.3 pts), 6'4 Brandon Eboigbodin (8.7 pts & 8.6 rebs) and 6'2 Nick Merrill (5.7 pts & 2.9 rebs). Adding to this experience are a freshman class consisting of 6'2 Kameron Johnson (Granada HS), 6'2 Aaron Berry (Heritage HS), Ellis Salahuddin (Westchester HS), 6'3 Keith Hunter (Oakland HS), 6'0 Nilo Yuson (Lathrop HS), 6'0 Etienne Ettlinger (Switzerland), 6'4 Spencer Wood (Cal HS), 6'7 Shaun Rodgers (Deer Valley HS), and 6'4 Teran Massengill (Pioneer HS).
Las Positas opens the season up hosting their own tournament, and will face Mendocino on November 5th at 5pm.
Columbia College (16-11)Under Coach Rob Hoyt the Claim Jumpers have become relevant again. The city of Sonora has a lot to celebrate as Columbia is coming off a solid season and has brought in some impressive talent for 2015-16. Returning from last year is 6'1 Michael Meserole (10.3 pts & 2.5 rebs). 6'7 Deandre Stallings has come in from Liberty Ranch where he was league MVP and should bring some much needed firepower to a young roster. Also new to the Claim Jumpers are Trevin Wilson (East Texas Baptist Univ), Jake Pollock (Beyer HS), 6'2 Aaron May (Albany, GA), 6'2 Bosten Van Der Veur (Farmington, UT), 6'6 Kashmiere Hughes (Peoria, IL) and 6'0 Lewayne Grant (Deerfield Beach HS).
Columbia opens the season at the Las Positas Tournament, and will face Contra Costa on November 5th at 3pm.
For an early look at this year's Columbia College squad, here is some highlights from NorCal Sports TV from the preseason showcase games.
OTHERS: (in no particular order)
The following teams are also capable of making noise this year. I look forward to seeing more of everyone this year to get a more accurate idea of the top teams for 2015-16.
Sierra College - looked good in the showcase, has a solid team, just need to see how they start the season
Foothill College - coming off a great playoff run, earning a trip to the elite 8 after knocking off the #1 team in the state. Always respectable and I look forward to see what they have for this year.
Ohlone College - lots of new faces, but also have some impressive talent on their roster. Will see if they start the season as fast as they did in 2014.
Skyline College - spent time at the top of the rankings last year, before the beginning of a brutal Coast-North Conference schedule. Should be in the running for another playoff spot this year.
Contra Costa College - has an impressive roster, look forward to see how they perform this year.
Feather River College- lost their leading scorer, but has reloaded. Are an intriguing team for 2015-16 and could surprise.
Porterville - based on their roster it appears they may be getting after it again. Look forward to seeing how they start the season. Could be another surprise for this year.
College of Sequoias - Another team that could easily have earned a spot in my Top 15, only if I knew more about them. But I am sure they will be another team to challenge Fresno City in the CVC and earn another trip to the postseason.
American River College - another sleeper that I think a lot of people are looking over for 2015-16. Had a great turnaround last year. They are big and will dominate most teams inside.
College of the Redwoods - Always formidable, I just don't know much about them at this point. Should compete for the GVC title this year.
- Thanks for reading. And remember, this blog is for entertainment and information purposes only. These rankings are not affiliated with the CCCAA.
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