SANTA BARBARA – Following the conclusion of the 2022-23 CCCAA basketball season, SBCC men's basketball standouts Aidan Mandel and Wilfrid Nado both earned a spot on the 2023 All-Western State Conference North Team.
The Vaqueros' top-two scorers were consistent throughout a season in which they led the program to its highest win total (11) in the last 14 years. SBCC also tied for fourth place in the conference at 6-6, tied for its most WSC wins since 1997.
Fr. F Aidan Mandel
Mandel was a force to be reckoned with on the inside, scoring with efficiency while providing SBCC a legitimate rim protector on the defensive end. The freshman's team-leading averages of 18.9 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game all ranked top-three in the conference. Utilizing his length with a combination of interior touch shots and mid-range jumpers, he also finished seventh in field goal percentage (.538), shooting 60 percent or better in 10 of 28 games.
Starting in every game of the season, the 6-foot-8 former San Marcos High School star put up at least 20 points 16 times, closing the year with five 20-point outings in his last six. He set a season-high with 26 points on 12-of-15 from the field in a win over LA Pierce in February.
A 25-point, 11-rebound, 5-block outburst highlighted his stellar week during the SBCC Classic, which resulted in an All-Tournament Team selection and an SBART Athlete of the Week honor.
So. G Wilfrid Nado
Further growing into his role during his sophomore season as one of the team's lead ball handlers, Nado was able to impact the game in a number of ways, ending the year second on the team in scoring (12.2 ppg) and assists (3.0 apg). He was also the team's top free throw shooter, knocking down a team-best 89 and shooting the highest percentage (.802) on the squad.
Nado's 47 three-pointers were nearly twice as many as the second-closest Vaquero. He got especially hot in a Dec. 1 game at Monterey Peninsula, when he connected on 6-of-9 from outside and finished with a season-high 29 points.
Against Moorpark in SBCC's WSC opener, Nado exploded for 28 points, going 8-of-14 from the field and hitting a season-best 10 free throws. In all, he had eight games of 15 or more points and six with five or more assists.
