Experienced Giants men's basketball set to open season with lofty expectations
By Nick Giannandrea
COS ATHLETICS
With seven talented returning players -- including four who have contributed to state Elite Eight runs -- and five impactful recruits, expectations are running high for the College of the Sequoias men's basketball team.
"They are a really talented group," third-year Giants' coach Dallas Jensen said. "All these guys have individual goals and dreams, but they are dialed in on doing something special (as a team) this year. They are focused on winning a conference championship and getting after a state title."
Jensen isn't the only person excited about Sequoias, which opens its season at 7 p.m. Nov. 4 against Palo Verde to cap the first night of the two-day COS Classic at Porter Field House.
The various entities that produce state rankings are high on the Giants, too.
Sequoias has a lofty ranking in three different polls. The Giants are ranked No. 2 in the Juco Hoops Preseason State Top 20, No. 2 in Northern California by the California Community College Men's Basketball Coaches' Association and No. 4 in the STLB NorCal Preseason poll.
"I think we are ranked way too high," Jensen said with a laugh. "Don't get me wrong, it's fun for the guys to see that. But you look at it for 5 minutes and you move forward and try to get better every day.
"At the end of the day, rankings are fun and exciting to look at, but the reality is we have to go out and win basketball games, and win them convincingly. We are going to try and win as many games as possible and move as many of these kids on to the next level as possible."
Sequoias appears to have a roster capable of doing just that, led by "super" sophomores Ryan Johnson (Hanford High) and Tiveon Stroud (Selma), who are both back for their third seasons with the Giants. Last spring's delayed season because of the Covid-19 pandemic did not count against an athlete's eligibility.
Johnson, a 6-foot-5 guard/forward combo, and Stroud, a 6-9 forward/center helped lead the Giants to a 24-6 record and a berth in the state Elite Eight tournament during the 2019-2020 season. The state championship tournament was canceled before it started because of safety precautions related to the coronavirus.
Johnson initially committed to Stanislaus State after averaging 18.6 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.1 blocks per game while helping the Giants go 8-1 during the abbreviated spring season. But Johnson decided to return to Sequoias to complete his Associate of Arts degree.
Stroud averaged 8.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.8 blocks for a Giants team that posted the best winning percentage among the eight colleges that brought back men's basketball last season after pandemic restrictions eased around the state.
Fellow "super" sophomores Seth Dawson, a 6-5 guard from Antioch, and Mohammed Adam, a 6-1 guard from Monterey, contributed to Fresno City's Elite Eight run in 2020 before transferring to Sequoias.
Dawson contributed 11.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.6 steals, while Adam added 8.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.2 steals for a team that closed the spring season with four straight wins.
The Giants also welcome back Ryan Troutman (Kerman), Scott Ator (Murphy, Texas) and Conner Jackson (Dublin).
Troutman, a 6-3 guard, averaged 8.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 2.1 steals; Ator, a 6-8 forward, delivered 11.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 0.9 blocks; and Jackson, a 6-2 guard, added 6.0 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists as Sequoias averaged a state-best 86.6 points a game during the spring.
"We really like our returners," Jensen said. "The beauty of having them back after the Covid season is there is a level of expectation coming in. All those guys will play a vital role again."
Among the newcomers to the Giants' roster is Andre Treadwell, a 6-3 guard from Sacramento who was a grayshirt last season. Jensen described Treadwell as a big-time shooter who has the ability to be one of the better on-ball defenders in Northern California.
Sequoias brought in a pair of junior college transfers in DeAndre Walters (Clovis North) and Bryce Fitzgerald (Las Vegas). Walters, a 5-11 guard, previously played at Glendale College, while Fitzgerald, a 6-8 forward, began his career at Indian River State College in Florida.
Walters provides depth in the backcourt and an ability to facilitate the offense, while Fitzgerald can score (inside and outside) and rebound at a high rate.
A pair of big men in David Ajanaku-Makun (Nigeria) and Terri Miller (Clovis North) round out the Giants newcomers.
The 6-7 Ajanaku-Makun, a 4.0 grade-point average student who prepped in the Bay Area, excels on defense and has an ability to defend multiple positions.
Jensen said the 6-8 Miller is one of the most skilled big men he's coached at any level, with his ability to play inside and out, shoot 3-pointers and pass the ball.
"The newcomers are great," Jensen said. "They all bring something different to the table."
Sequoias closes out the COS Classic by hosting preseason NorCal No. 21-ranked American River at 3 p.m. Nov. 5. Admission is $5 and facial coverings are required inside Porter Field House.
The Giants play 14 nonconference games, eight against teams ranked among the Top 25 in either Southern or Northern California. Other currently ranked opponents include: SoCal No. 10 Allan Hancock (Nov. 12), NorCal No. 1 San Francisco (Dec. 4), SoCal No. 6 West Los Angeles (Dec. 9), SoCal No. 25 L.A. Trade Tech (Dec. 17), SoCal No. 4 Ventura (Dec. 18), SoCal No. 19 Mira Costa (Dec. 30) and SoCal No. 14 Antelope Valley (Dec. 31).
Sequoias launches Central Valley Conference play at 6 p.m. Jan. 5 at West Hills-Coalinga. Ranked opponents Columbia (NorCal No. 10) and Fresno City (NorCal No. 11) await during conference play.
"This team has talent, depth, size, shooting, the ability to defend and good guard play," Jensen said. "The pieces are there to be a very good basketball team. We feel our goals are attainable, but it will take a lot of hard work. This is definitely a group we feel good about and like coaching."
