Written by: Aaron Turner
Pictured: Eric Sun
Aside from the fact that City College of San Francisco's men's basketball team did not suffer a single defeat in the 2019-20 season, which was ultimately cut short midway through the playoffs due to Covid-19, a simple peek at team statistics showed just how truly dominant this year's squad was.
After falling last season in the CCCAA state championship game to San Diego City College, CCSF embarked on a revenge tour this season, as they avenged that disappointing loss in just the second game on their schedule, walloping SDCC 87-51 in their annual CCSF Tip-Off Classic. After that, there was simply no looking back for the Rams.
As a team, City College averaged 102 points per game during their undefeated run, with only one of the 30 games they played decided by less than double digits. Aside from their high-scoring offense, the Rams also led all teams in California with 16 steals per game and 24 assists per game. CCSF attempted a state-high 2156 field goals throughout the year, finishing 3rd in California in team field-goal percentage at 51%. City was also 6th in blocked shots per game, with 5, and committed the eleventh fewest turnovers per game.
Following their dominant pre-conference and Coast Conference schedules, the top-seeded Rams easily won their first two games of the CCCAA playoffs in similar fashion, beating San Joaquin Delta in a 113-82 rout on February 29th at home, before proceeding to completely dismantle College of the Redwoods a week later at The Wellness Center, 108-64.
The Rams were slated to move on to West Hills College in Lemoore, the site of this year's CCCAA Championship. Instead, they never made it out of San Francisco. After initially announcing a limiting of attendees for the final three rounds of basketball, the CCCAA ultimately decided to cancel the games altogether, citing health concerns over the outbreak of Covid-19, as well as state mandates against gathering, and encouraging of social distancing.
Thus, the revenge tour was forced to come to a screeching halt. As the only undefeated team in California this season, and top-ranked since the beginning of the year, the Rams were the presumptive favorite to take home yet another CCCAA title.
Despite the disappointing end to their year, the Rams will presumably return at least four key freshmen to next year's roster. Ezekiel Holman, who averaged 11.6 points per game in 20 starts, should be one of the top sopmores in 2020-21, along with guard Kyree Brown, who finished with 8.7 points per game this year in 16 starts.
Forward Sam Manu and wingman Seyi Reilly were also freshmen this season, with each averaging over 6 points per game, in reserve roles. Meanwhile, Amin Ogelsby, who played sparingly, could also be a factor next year.
Departing sophomore Miles Norris, who last season played at the University of Oregon, before transferring to City College in order to avoid sitting out a season due to NCAA transfer rules, will be moving on to UC Santa Barbara. UCSB is the school he had been eyeing as an eventual destination for the past couple of seasons, and he joins a program that has made it to the NCAA Tournament in both 2010 and 2011. The supremely versatile and talented big man led all scorers with 16 points per game this season, shooting an impressive 54% from the field.
Quincy Urbina, one of the few players who last tasted defeat in a Rams uniform, is slated to play his junior year at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona, a newer Division I program that is quickly on the rise. Urbina averaged 11 points per game, one of seven different City players to average double-digit scoring per game this year.
As for the team's second leading scorer, Nate Robinson, who averaged 11.8 points per game, he will be playing alongside familiar faces next season, as fellow departees Emeka Udenyi and Darrion Trammell will join Robinson in the Pacific Northwest and suit up for the Redhawks of Seattle University.