SANTA BARBARA, CA – The SBCC men's basketball team tips off its season today at El Camino looking to build on its 2021 campaign, which was head coach Devin Engebretsen's first at the helm of the program.
We caught up with coach Engebretsen ahead of the season-opener for his thought's on this year's Vaquero squad.
KEY RETURNERS
"We are really excited about this upcoming season with a nice mix of both solid returners and some talented incoming freshmen. Wilfrid Nado is coming off a WSC Honorable Mention award, and he, along with guards Elijah Simpson and Jaelen Bates are coming back with several starts under their belts and high minutes played from last year.
Sophomores Trevor Lee and Daymrion Sears are also returning to provide depth at the wing and guard positions. All of these returners have grown as players, students and leaders, and we are really excited to see their growth continue as we play out this season."
STRENGTHS
"One of our biggest strengths this year will be our guard play and our overall depth. We have a lot of players and we are expecting different guys to contribute nightly. I don't think we are going to have just one guy lead us statistically night in and night out, but we could have 4-to-6 different players lead us on any given night. We have to play as a team, share the ball, play solid team defense and be extremely connected for us to succeed.
Our biggest challenge is simply the size differential we could face each game. We aren't necessarily undersized, but we will face teams that are bigger than us. This gives us even more reason to try to push the ball, play at a fast pace, and defend and rebound together as a unit."
NEWCOMERS
"A couple of local newcomers are Aidan Mandel and Tyler Williams. Mandel, from San Marcos, was named the MVP of the Channel League, while Williams (Bishop Diego) was named the Southern Section 3A Player of the Year.
We are looking at both of them to be starters as we begin the season, with Mandel holding things down in the middle, and Williams being able to create and run the floor from the wing position. We also have a pair of 6'5 guys from San Mateo – Kaelin Powell and Jonathan Wise – looking to anchor the interior with rebounding and post play, but both have the ability to step out and make a jumper as well. "
FINAL THOUGHTS
"We are excited to put a good product out on the floor nightly, highlighting team play, tough-nosed basketball on both offense and defense, and a deeply connected team where the players genuinely care for each other and each other's successes. Our individual and team defense will be the key for us to be able to win games this year, as we feel we have a balanced attack that can put up some points."
