The MiraCosta College men's basketball team is feeling good after their win at #4 San Diego City College on Saturday. When you ask any player or coach, however, they aren't content to just make it to the Elite 8. "There is still work to be done," they will tell you. By defeating the Knights, MiraCosta earned their place in the most important tournament of the year, the final eight teams in the state. The Spartans take their 17-14 record to West Hills Lemoore College where four teams from the southern region will match up against four teams from the northern region. The Spartans, proudly wearing the #21 seed like a badge of honor, will take on the overall #1 seed, Community College of San Francisco (CCSF) on Friday at 5PM.
According to historian Greg Sarkesian, the Spartans will be the second team with a seed of #20 or higher to make the Elite 8. In 1990, when the state playoffs allowed 32 team in from each region, El Camino College was the #23 seed and advanced to the Elite 8 where they eventually took down the #1 North seed, West Valley College. Since the new format has been in place, the lowest seed to win a game at the Elite 8 was in 2015 when #13 East LA College defeated Merritt College.
MiraCosta is led by third year head coach Ryan Frazer, a strong tactician that exhibits composure not common to collegiate men's basketball coaches. After successful back to back recruiting classes, Frazer began to mold his team into the upset machine they have come to be known by. Without closer study the Spartans' record can be misleading. However when you take a deeper dive, one can see that the Spartans nearly beat San Diego City two out of the first three times they played. MiraCosta also had a close loss to Ventura College and beat ranked Santiago Canyone twice on the year.
The Spartans success can be attributed to a mix of strong sophomore leadership and freshman maturing at the right time. As a team, their confidence is at its highest, and they appear to be playing without the pressure of expectation. Sophomores Patrick McLachlan, Julian Williams, Carter Plousha, Lamont Couch Jr., and Devynn Wakefield have each played an important part in getting MiraCosta to where it is now. Although some would point to the scoring of McLachlan and Williams, the defense and rebounding of Plousha and Wakefield can't be understated. Point guard Couch Jr. brings speed and defensive pressure that serves as a catalyst for speeding up the pace of the game when needed.
Freshman Jayden Winfrey, Jordan Campbell, Nigel Wilson, and Jonathan Tchengang are no longer playing like freshman. They are battle tested and have gained a special confidence and readiness from the last few weeks of the season. Winfrey, a smooth ball handling guard, has proven hard to stay in front of for his opponents. Campbell, has made big shots in multiple games, most recently against Santiago Canyon College. Wilson, an athletic and mobile big man, has been critical in matching other team's athleticism and size. He also has been a consistent force inside and just proved himself against the very talented center from San Diego City. Tchengang is an athletic wing that can fill any position needed by Coach Frazer. Freshman guards Jayln White and Jordan Shelly played significant roles before injuries took them out of the line up.
CCSF enters the state championship with a 29-1 record, their one loss coming at the hands of West Valley College back in November. Their leading scorer is Naseem Gaskim, a sophomore guard averaging 16 ppg. Their leading rebounder is Seyi Reiley, a 6-5 forward from Jamaica.
For more information on the CCCAA State Championships click here.
To watch the game live online, click here.