Last Thursday evening, the Phoenix College Men's Basketball team headed to Colorado for the JuCo Advocate Rocky Mountain Jamboree, at the Power 2 Play Sports Center in Windsor, CO. The Bears played 5 games in 2 days, and returned home 5-0. PC defeated W. Nebraska 52-34, Otero 41-38, Utah State Eastern 36-33, Miles 38-31, and United Tribes 53-37. The trip was a great individual and team experience, as they got exposure, strong competition and team bonding time. Coach Eason shared his insight on the trip.
First off, congrats on a successful trip. 5-0 is quite an accomplishment for your first time playing in this event.
Thank you. It's always great to win games, and 5 wins in a weekend is tremendous for the team's confidence, but I feel we gained other victories out of the trip.
Let's start with why you took the team to this event.
Simply put, it was about our guys getting real exposure. The JuCo Advocate Jamboree gave our guys much more exposure than the conference event 2 weeks ago. There were hundreds of college coaches from every level and every region of the country. It's extremely important for me to get my guys as much exposure as possible, and this gave it to them. I never guarantee anything to players we bring in to PC, but there will always be opportunity; they have to make the most of it.
What guys do you feel made the most of this great opportunity?
Jamar Brown had a great weekend. He showed he can do more than just shoot 3's. He had some highlight film dunks on guys, including a 2-hand slam over a 7-footer. He picked up some more D1 interest from the Big Sky. He scored, rebounded and defended consistently all weekend.
Mike (Rogers) showed great passing instincts and defense. He didn't score the ball as well as he normally does, due to cramping. The altitude impact him greatly, so we tried to keep him hydrated, but it was a struggle. He had 2 schools come watch all his games, and they left satisfied with his performance. He's been hearing from schools in the Big West, Horizon, MAC, WAC, and Big Sky; and most of them were there.
Dre (Andres Arellano) played some very solid games. He's a native of Denver, so being home and having his family there provided great motivation for him. He showed an ability to be a big time shooter for us this year; especially in our 4th game where he went 5 for 7 from behind the arc. Dre also showed his athleticism with some high-flying dunks in both the half court and full court.
The guys you spoke about are all sophomores. Were there any freshman stand outs?
Guards Jason Kimbrough and Duane Rogers played well. Both play with a lot of fire and toughness. When they play with more brains and less heart, they will really take off. Don't get me wrong, I love the hard-nosed "dawg" mentality, but at this level you can't play with too much emotion.
Talk about the team play. How do you think the team did, collectively?
I thought the team did very well, especially on the defensive end. We kept the ball out of the paint, applied solid ball pressure, and rebounded well. There's always room for growth, but considering we didn't have film to prepare for specific actions, we held our own against some tough sets.
Offensively, I wasn't thrilled. We wasted a lot of opportunities, had a ton of unforced turnovers, and were inconsistent in our execution. I think that will come sooner rather than later.
Were there any things that stood out as highlights?
I'd say, our biggest bright spot, was handling Western Nebraska's press and Utah State University Eastern's zone. One of the great things about this event was you could play any defense you want, so we got a chance to see how we would do against those defenses. I was happy with how the guys handled both. Not to say we didn't have some slip ups, but for the most part, we got what we wanted.
Obviously, a trip like this gives you time to be isolated with the team. How was the trip off the court?
It was excellent. The guys had a great time with each other, and some of the guys got closer; at least I feel they did. Friday night, we went Dre's grandfather's church to eat. His grandmother cooked for the boys, and they definitely put back in everything they burned on the court. It was a great time to laugh, talk, eat and just be people for a bit. Many of our guys have never been to Colorado, so having a great experience, like they did, definitely made it worth wild.
Coming off the trip, where do you guys go from here?
We have a few exhibition games, where we'll really focus on what we need to do during the season. This upcoming week, we will tighten up some of the loose ends; and we'll put in a few things that need to be ready for the season opener on November 5th.
Do you plan to make this trip an annual thing?
Absolutely! It was worth every penny. We also plan to attend another out of state jamboree as well. I feel it's my job to get my guys maximum exposure, and you go to leave Arizona to do that.
The Bears will be taking on Park University, Saturday, October 22nd at 2pm and Bella Vista National, Sunday, October 30th at 4pm; to round out their pre-season schedule. Both games will be held at the Bear's Den at Phoenix College.
