December 13, 2011
Men's Basketball Team Takes Home SBCC Tournament Championship, 8-3 Overall
The Allan Hancock College men’s basketball team came back from the Santa Barbara City College Classic Tournament with a championship title and an 8-3 record, making this their most successful pre-season in recent memory, according to head coach Ralph Gorton. The Bulldogs are the defending 2010-11 Western State Conference champions and at this time last season the team was 1-8 in pre-season play.
“We’re already on pace to have a season far greater than last year’s,” Gorton said.
The team finished their 2010-11 season with a 9-3 conference and 14-14 overall record. Gorton hopes to surpass that record this season while clinching another conference title.
“We have a deep roster with good players at all five positions,” Gorton said.
In four tournaments so far this season, Jordan O’Byrne (So. Lompoc), Abe Millsap (Fr. St. Thomas Moore Prep) and Taylor Pruett (So. Arroyo Grande) have each received multiple All-Tournament awards. All three players received All-Tournament nods at the Santa Barbara City College Classic and O’Byrne was named the tournament MVP.
O’Byrne is currently ranked third in the state in scoring and is averaging 22.5 points per game. Gorton acknowledged that sophomore Andrew Douby (So. St. Thomas Moore Prep) has also improved this season and averages 12 points per game for the Bulldogs and freshman guard Alex MacNeil (Fr. Crescent Valley) acts as a stabilizer for the team on the court.
“We have an older group of kids this year and a lot of sophomores who are new to the program,” Gorton said. “The team is more mature overall and as result we’re rebounding and responding to losses better than ever before.”
Gorton said he expects tough competition at the College of the Sequoias tournament Dec. 16-18. before the team returns to Santa Maria for the Allan Hancock College Holiday Classic held Dec. 28-30 in the Joe White Memorial Gymnasium. The Bulldogs take to the court at 7 p.m. on Dec. 28 against Rio Hondo College.
“We’re already on pace to have a season far greater than last year’s,” Gorton said.
The team finished their 2010-11 season with a 9-3 conference and 14-14 overall record. Gorton hopes to surpass that record this season while clinching another conference title.
“We have a deep roster with good players at all five positions,” Gorton said.
In four tournaments so far this season, Jordan O’Byrne (So. Lompoc), Abe Millsap (Fr. St. Thomas Moore Prep) and Taylor Pruett (So. Arroyo Grande) have each received multiple All-Tournament awards. All three players received All-Tournament nods at the Santa Barbara City College Classic and O’Byrne was named the tournament MVP.
O’Byrne is currently ranked third in the state in scoring and is averaging 22.5 points per game. Gorton acknowledged that sophomore Andrew Douby (So. St. Thomas Moore Prep) has also improved this season and averages 12 points per game for the Bulldogs and freshman guard Alex MacNeil (Fr. Crescent Valley) acts as a stabilizer for the team on the court.
“We have an older group of kids this year and a lot of sophomores who are new to the program,” Gorton said. “The team is more mature overall and as result we’re rebounding and responding to losses better than ever before.”
Gorton said he expects tough competition at the College of the Sequoias tournament Dec. 16-18. before the team returns to Santa Maria for the Allan Hancock College Holiday Classic held Dec. 28-30 in the Joe White Memorial Gymnasium. The Bulldogs take to the court at 7 p.m. on Dec. 28 against Rio Hondo College.