Cochise College | Athletics | Men's Basketball
2009-2010 Cochise College Apaches
Apaches Look to Build on Last Season’s Success
The 2008-2009 Cochise College "Runnin'" Apaches ended the season with a disappointing 74-50 loss to arch-rival Arizona Western College in the Region I championship game, but it was a very successful season. Cochise ranked first or second in the ACCAC all season, and a one-point loss at the hands of the Phoenix College Bears in the last game of the season prevented the Apaches from being ACCAC co-champions and hanging another banner in the Cochise Stronghold Gymnasium.
Last year's squad was very successful in playing high-energy, up-tempo basketball, and this year's team should continue that type of aggressive style of basketball. The Apaches return the dynamic duo of starting guards Jamiko Verner and Marcus Williams. Verner, a 5'11" true point guard, led the high-octane offense to average 98 points per game in 2008-2009 and was fourth in the nation in assists at 8.4 per game and second in the nation in steals at 3.7 per game. Williams, a 5'10" combo guard, averaged18.4 points per game while being named to the First Team All-ACCAC, First Team All-Region I and honorable mention all-American last season.
The Apaches also returned a pair of bookend forwards who played extensive minutes on last year's squad. Ray Marshall, a very reliable and tough 6'7" post man, returns for his sophomore campaign and looks very good. Local Cochise County standout Brandon MacLellan, a 6'4" athletic post man, returns and brings "newfound" energy to the squad. The Apaches also return shooting guard Calvin Barbera who saw limited action as a freshman. Barbera is unique in that he has two highly touted mentors in Tucson High School Coach Brian Peabody and current Cochise Assistant Coach Jay Collins, who share a very tight bond. Furthermore, the Apaches will have the services of a rugged 6'5" post man in Demetrious Thornton. Thornton red-shirted last season with a knee injury but has emerged as a huge scoring threat in the Apache system.
The Apaches have a great mix of incoming freshman and NCAA Division I transfers on the roster to bolster the attack. Xavier Johnson-Blount a 6'4" wing who prepped his senior year at First Colonial High School in Virginia Beach, and Jesus Delgado, a 6'4" wing from Montwood High School in El Paso, have been heralded by some as prize" recruits. Delgado, the El Paso High School Player of the Year last year, is skilled and very physically strong and was all-everything in high school. Johnson-Blount is very rugged and plays very fast and hard. The Apaches also brought in a athletic point guard Mychal Pinson from El Paso's Chapin High School. Pinson, a 6' guard, has loads of potential and looks to be very fast in the open court. Local high school product Derek Lane, from Buena High School in Sierra Vista, Ariz., looks to add depth at the wing position.
The Apaches also brought in two NCAA Division I transfers to the program in 6'6" forward Nyandigisi Moikobu and 6'9" forward Joseph Muvuna. Moikobu red-shirted at the University of Montana and hails from Ranier Beach High School in Seattle, Wash. He helped his high school to the Washington State 3A Championship as a senior. "Diggs" has potential to be very successful in the Apache up-tempo system. Muvuna prepped at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nev., and Worcester Academy in Massachusetts. "Joe Joe" is very long and brings inside presence after red-shirting last season at Loyola of Maryland University.
The "Runnin'" Apaches had a very successful 2008-2009 campaign, with three players moving on to NCAA Division I institutions and one moving on to an NCAA Division II institution. The Apaches look to build on the success from last season and return to the NJCAA Region I Championship, hopefully with a better result. This club has talent and, hopefully, the hunger, energy and desire to be champions. Come out and support this year's Apaches!