Fasten Your Seatbelts, it’s Going to be a Bumpy Ride!

2013-14 Western State-South Conference champion…Antelope Valley College. 

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The next 14 games of the season for AVC will be against Western State-South Conference teams.  The Western State-South may be  the toughest over all conference in the state of California this year. 

Five of the eight teams ended the pre-conference season with a winning record and two of the three teams with losing records have improved a great deal during pre-conference and now are dangerous competitors. 

The next few days, I will be looking at the conference teams to help you predict which team will win the conference championship this year.

Antelope Valley  12-4

Bakersfield  10-4

College of the Canyons 8-5

Citrus 7-5

Glendale  1-10

LA Valley 5-7

Santa Monica 5-7

West LA 9-1

To paraphrase a movie quote;  Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy ride!

 

Is This the Year for Julius Bilbrew, 6’3”, 180?

Julius Bilbrew graduated from Inglewood High School in 2011.  He received a scholarship to D-1 Fresno State University and headed up north after graduation.  Alas, the way I understand it, Bilbrew was unable to enroll at Fresno State after running into issues with the NCAA clearinghouse.  Bilbrew was as shocked as the head coach at Fresno State was and he headed back home.  Julius decided that he wanted to play basketball at the D-1 level and joined Antelope Valley College in the 2012-13 season.  That summer season for Bilbrew was unbelievable.  Draining long 3-balls, slashing the middle for thunderous dunks.  The sideline was crowded with D-1 coaches with oohs and aahs on their lips. 

Julius start as a freshman in the 2012-13 year and although he had several good games, his concentration and ability to play at a high level continued to drop through out the season.   He lost his starting job and finally left the team with one game left in the season.  He worked out with a number of JUCO teams but things did not workout for him.

During the 2013-14 season, it became clear that Julius was working his way through some personal issues.   As he worked through his personal issues he also got serious about his academics during the 2013-14 season. 

This summer, there was a meeting between the coaching staff and Bilbrew who said his personal issues had been solved once and for all and he was now ready to live up to the potential he has always had.  The coaching staff and Julius  came to an agreement on bottom line expectations he would have to live up to stay with the AVC team.

It has been a painful experience watching this talented young man go through his issues in his past three years.  He knows that his clock is clicking along on his eligibility to play D-1 ball.  He has solved his personal issues and now has that joyful look when he is on the floor.  He has become a team player and it looks to me that he may shock a bunch of people this year who have written him off.  Could just be a really big year for Bilbrew. 

Brandon Ruffin, 6’1”, 165, Sophomore

Back home at last.  Out of Santiago High School High school, Corona, CA, Brandon Ruffin decided that Antelope Valley College was the place for  him.  In AVC’s state tournament 2012-13 year, he grey-shirted at AVC as he was playing behind D-1 bound Jason JJ Johnson at the two guard position. 

The next year, Ruffin decided, for a number of reasons, that he would transfer to a JUCO that had been recruiting him heavily ever since high school, Irvine Valley College.  Brandon did not start at IVC in his year there,  but did get some playing time.  Irvine Valley is known for it’s “grinder” style of basketball and it looked as if Ruffin’s more athletic style of playing did not fit well. To follow NCAA rules on transferring college players, Brandon sat out the past year at AVC.

Last year, he worked hard on his basketball game and academically and is ready to help the AVC team in any way he can. He comes back to AVC a mature hard working young man.  He still is as athletic as ever with monster dunks but much more under control.  He has become a dangerous long range shooter, slasher into the middle, plays intense defensive, and brings high energy when he is on the floor. 

Ruffin looks to be a strong addition to the Antelope Valley College team.

AVC’s Larry Slaughter Moves into Starting 5

Larry Slaughter 6’8” 230,  who was the key 6th man on the D-2 Montevallo University squad has moved into the starting rotation.  In the last game, Larry pounded in 10 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks and a steal in a overtime win for the nationally ranked #10 Falcons.   Slaughter became the 10th starter of the 11 AVC players currently playing with University scholarships. 

Larry’s says, "They ain’t had no choice they had to let me in, my foot on all they necks won’t let them breath again, this is greatness in the making I know that within…”

Turn up the beast big man.

AVC’s Dwan Caldwell With Another Monster Game

Tennessee Tech led by Junior Dwan Caldwell scored a career-high with 18 points, shooting 6-for-9 and grabbing a game-best seven rebounds in a big win over Utah Valley University on November 30, 2013.  The man is a beast.

AVC “Got Serious” Against Desert

AVC 96  Desert 59

After a slow start in the first half against Desert(8 point lead), it looked like AVC was going to have to win a grinder.  I am not sure what was said in the halftime locker room but AVC turned the switch on in the second half.  Maybe the coaches told the team that Saddleback’s coaching staff was scouting the game and the way AVC was playing they might be relegated to play the Saddleback JV team in the Riverside Tournament. 

What ever the stimulus was,  AVC got serious in the second half.  I do not have the complete stats but the following provided by DR should give you an idea how AVC scored 56 in second half;

1. Lucciano Gamiz, shot 9-10 including 4 three balls to lead the scoring with 20 points and four assists.  Oh yes all this in 20 minutes.   Think he might be feeling better?
2. Adrian Francis, AVC’s back up point guard played long minutes and put in 16 points and 4 assists. 
3. I remember 5 AVC players draining three’s in the second half. 
4. Zack Hollis, 6’9”, 235 took advantage of Desert’s size with multiple put backs and a flock rebounds. 

AVC was the only team that came out of the tournament undefeated and Ismail Ali, AVC’s point guard was named the All-tournament.

AVC sports a 6-0 record, including wins against three top 20 teams,  to start the season.

 

 

Brandon Ruffin Transfers Back From Irvine Valley College

Brandon Ruffin joined Antelope Valley College back in 2012.  He grey-shirted at AVC as he was playing behind D-1 bound Jason JJ Johnson at the two guard position.  After AVC’s State Tournament season ended, Ruffin decided for a number of reasons that he would transfer to a JC that had been recruiting him him heavily ever since high school, Irvine Valley College.  Brandon did not start IVC last year,  but did get some playing time in his freshman year.  Irvine Valley is known for it’s “grinder” style of basketball and it looked as if Ruffin’s more athletic style of playing did not fit well.

To follow NCAA rules on transferring college players, Brandon will be sitting out this year at AVC.  He will be beast working out against the players that make the team this year.  I am looking forward to seeing how Ruffin has improved in two key area’s;  defense and shooting.  Oh yea, a great year to make sure the GPA is 2.5 or better.  Welcome home Brandon. 

Bilbrew is Back…AVC>SBV>AVC>?U

One of AVC’s top recruits last year was Julius Bilbrew from Fresno State University/Inglewood High School.  After graduating from HS in 2011, Julius headed to Fresno State, and actually spent a short time at the University before he found out that he did not qualify academically.   In the 2012-13 season, Julius joined AVC.

Bilbrew had a great summer last year and started the season at the shooting guard for AVC.  D-1 schools were heavily scouting Julius but then, things fell apart for him.   He lost his shooting touch,  he stopped slashing into the paint and ultimately lost his confidence and his starting position.   All season long when he came into the game, he showed flashes of summer brilliance but the consistency just wasn’t there.

Late last season, Julius left the team.  Word was out that a number of teams had been working hard to recruit him and he told team members he was heading to San Bernardino Valley College.

He worked out with SBV during the past spring and part of this summer but,  things aren’t always as promised and Julius asked the AVC coaching staff whether he could return.  There was a serious sit down that occurred between the AVC coaching staff and Mr. Bilbrew and to get a second chance at AVC, rules and expectations were clearly worked out.

There is no question that Julius Bilbrew has the physical skills to play D-1 basketball.  Now Bilbrew must impress the coaches with team play, maturity, academics to get playing time .  Good to see him back.  A man to watch. 

Are Second Chances at JUCO’s Gone?

Ref Heckler, an unrepentant JUCO fan, made a comment the other day about AVC’s Dwan “Po” Caldwell’s trip to a D-1 Tennessee Tech scholarship.  Heckler said, “JC’s are all about second chances and taking the non-conventional path!”

Things are changing dramatically in JUCO’s and does that mean the “second chance” is gone?”  Lets look at the changes occurring at Antelope Valley College and see if they mirror what going on at other JUCO’s and their ability to place players at D-1 and other university levels on scholarships.

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Classes at Antelope Valley College start today.  Serious workouts start shortly there after.  The players this year are looking at a very different experience at Antelope Valley College.   There are three main areas on any JUCO teams where change occur and make huge differences in the program.

1. Coaching Staff—The coaching staff for AVC has grown by one.  John Taylor, Head Coach, Mike Rios, Assistant Coach/Academic Counselor, Nikhil Laud, Assistant Coach,  Donte Bell, Assistant Coach and the new Assistant Coach Ryan Frasier.  A solid group that can recruit, do the X and O’s and place players at universities on full ride scholarships.  Of the three parts of team, this one has changed the least.
2. Players—The players on a JUCO teams always change.  Sometimes a great deal.  AVC has a solid corps of returning sophomores with experience in the system;  Draper, Gamiz, and Hollis.  There is a talented group of freshman and transfers.   The questions that will soon be answered are;  where does everyone fit and how hard are the new players willing to work to get playing time?  AVC is smaller, quicker, and less experienced than in years past.  Major changes here.
3. Academics—The biggest changes are here.  2.5 GPA is all you have to remember.  2.5  GPA is the highest requirement of any of college level program.  High School players need a 2.3 GPA  to get a D-1 Scholarship,  JUCO players need a 2.5  GPA.  Every JUCO has known that this was coming and should be ready to add the support to their student athletes.  Antelope Valley College in the past two years has placed 10(11 soon?) student athletes.  Did they all have 2.5 GPA?  Nope.  Is AVC ready for the 2.5 GPA requirement?  They have made it clear to all players that academics come first, study sessions for all players are mandatory, no classes no play, a full time athletic academic advisor.  Are the student athletes ready?  We will see.

As we all know, there are many JUCO’s that are not in the business to place players with scholarships at universities.  With the new even higher requirements, forget them, they haven’t changed.  How about the “elite” JUCO’s?  Have they upgraded their academic system and recruiting  for their student athletes to meet the 2.5 GPA?  Only time will tell. 

“Leavin’ on a Jet Plane, Don’t Know When I’ll Be Back Again”

AVC Sophomores Dwan “Po” Caldwell, 6’8”, 245 and Vadal Faniel, 6’6, 215, will be leaving the Antelope Valley for their universities this week.  They ended their local basketball careers by having a basketball workout with their friends and families in the Antelope Valley where they grew up.

They both had a great two years at AVC but even a better summer when both completed their academic requirements;  Dwan “Po” Caldwell to D-1 Tennessee Tech U and Vadal Faniel, D-2  Texas Tech International University. 

Quick update on AVC’s point guard Mike Scott.  He left for D-1 University of Idaho, 7 days after he finished his AA degree at AVC.  He has just completed his first 6 upper division units this summer and has really impressed his coaching staff at the “big school.”  Step 1 in making my prediction  come true that Mike Scott will make the biggest impact this year in D-1 of any JUCO point guard graduation this year. 

A big congratulations to Dr. Cindy Lehman, Mike Rios, Assistant Coach/Academic Counselor, and of course Head Coach John Taylor.  They do a great job of mandating academics’ at Antelope Valley College year after year. (10 current players in the past two years now in Universities.)

Expecting one more announcement soon.  Stay tuned.