By Jim Richards
With two wins in two conference outings, the mood is good among the SMCC men’s basketball program, but there is a big week ahead with a couple of old nemesis on the schedule.
First up Wednesday night will be Scottsdale CC, a team that finished second to the Cougars during the 2006-07 regular season. The Cougars will return home Saturday night against Phoenix College, in the first meeting of the season between the two rivals that put on quite a show in last season’s NJCAA Region I Div. II title match.
Cougars fans will remember the disheartening outing, when the Cougars held a late lead only to fall to PC, which then went on to the NJCAA Div.II national tournament. “I think we need to win both these games,” said SMCC coach Dan Nichols, who expects to win both games but isn’t taking anything for granted. “I just think that the way we’re playing that those teams don’t have the power to stay with us up front. But they’ll give us some stiff competition.”
The Cougars opened the ACCAC portion of their schedule with a 59-55 home victory over Glendale and followed that with a convincing 79-65 victory at Central Arizona, a game in which the Cougars opened up a 25-lead in the first half.
Forward David Cuen leads a balanced SMCC scoring attack with an average of 12.8 points per game, just ahead of guard Tyrone Kelley (12.1) and center B.J. Dotson (11.4.).
Dotson leads the team in rebounding at 8.7 per game with Robert Tre Golston at 6.8. Freddy Franco at point guard is dishing off 6.1 assists per game and leads in steals at 3.7 per game.
Nichols is on record as saying that this is the best SMCC team to play here since he’s been head coach, including last season’s surprise team that captured the ACCAC-II regular-season title.
“I think we’re better,” he said. “I think we’ve added a bit more quickness. We were good defensively. I just think we’re a little bit deeper and a little bit strong than last year. I’m just hoping that will push us over the top this time.
“Time will tell. I like what we’ve got and I like where we’re standing. We’ll just have to put our noses to the ground and make it happen.”