BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- When Head Coach Keith Brown learned he would be leading his Roadrunner basketball team from NCAA Division II powerhouse to NCAA Division I newcomer back in 2006, he crafted a plan. That plan involved the potential of sacrificing short–term victories for long–term success.
Anybody who saw the Roadrunners play over the past two seasons has seen the team grow from a fledging Division I squad in 2008 to one capable of competing —and winning—on any given night in 2009.
But the 2009–10 season could be the one where Brown's plan truly comes to fruition, as a talented group of returners with a combined 12 seasons of Division I experience joins with one of the most exciting recruiting classes in CSUB men's basketball history. The result, 'Runner fans hope, will be a team worthy of leading CSUB through the final year of transition to NCAA Tournament eligibility.
“This has been by design,” Brown says of the team's composition and the timing of talented young players developing through the system. “We made a commitment to young players early in the transition process and some of the redshirt decisions we made were really about these next two seasons,” he added.
When looking at the 2009–10 roster, it's difficult to see whether to put the emphasis on the returning players or the newcomers, as both groups project to make significant impacts this season. But any look at the Roadrunners should begin with senior forward Trent Blakley.
Blakley is the lone holdover from CSUB's final NCAA Division II lineup in 2007. The first of the young players Brown committed to in the process, he has grown on and off the court into one of the team's central figures. Blakley already ranks in CSUB's career top 10s in five categories. He has improved statistically every season, leading the team in scoring at 13.4 points per game as a junior.
“There is no substitute for years of experience,” says Brown. “Trent showed tremendous development between his sophomore and junior years and we expect him to have an even better senior season.
“Given the experience of our returning players and the talent of our newcomers, we expect Trent to use his maturity to help blend those groups into a more cohesive unit.”
BASKETBALL SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Roadrunner basketball season tickets are on sale now. Don't miss out on any of the exciting NCAA Division I men's basketball action, including games against 2009 NCAA Tournament qualifiers Utah State and Cal State Northridge. Call (661) 654–BLUE for more information.
While Blakley's leadership will be counted on, the quarterback of the team will be junior point guard Donavan Bragg. After just two seasons as a part–time starter, Bragg already ranks No. 14 on CSUB's career assist list. With a preseason injury sidelining fellow guard Alex Johnson for the season, Bragg will be expected to play an even bigger role, a role Brown says Bragg has embraced.
“Nobody recognizes that more than Donavan,” says Brown. “He's an upperclassman and a very talented player with a good supporting cast around him. His goal will be to stay aggressive while getting others more involved.”
Sophomore Bryan Emanuel can expect to assume more ball handling responsibilities this season. Emanuel's forte is on the defensive end of the floor, where he is the team's perimeter lockdown defender. The 'Runners relied on him so much that he became the first CSUB freshman to start all 29 games in a season.
The rest of CSUB's experience returns in the paint. Seniors Santwon Latunde and Jose “Chepe” Lara are the Roadrunners' two “pure” big men. At 275 pounds, Latunde uses his tremendous strength and tenacity to create space and rebound in traffic with an effectiveness that belies his 6–6 height. Lara is two inches taller than Latunde, and likewise uses his imposing frame in a way that creates favorable interior matchups for CSUB.
“Santwon is a handful for any team to deal with offensively and he uses his size and determination to be a very good rebounder,” says Brown. “Chep also helps us create favorable interior matchups. His effectiveness is directly correlated to his physical conditioning and he's in the best shape he's ever been in as we go through conditioning.”
The third returning post player is a bit of a hybrid. A a redshirt junior Cory Brown begins his fourth season in the program as a player who began to come into his own at the end of the 2008–09 season. Brown is a long 6–10 and uses his length effectively on both ends of the floor. He enters the season ranked No. 12 on CSUB's career blocked shots list and, at 74 percent, is one of the team's top free–throw shooters.
While Brown has a talented, experienced and diverse corps of returning players, the is an equal amount of buzz around the Icardo Center this season regarding a recruiting class that may be as talented and diverse as the returning group.
Perhaps no newcomer has generated as much buzz as freshman guard Stephon Carter from Garces High School. Carter wasn't just one of the top local recruits, he was one of the most sought–after prep players in the country. He possess a variety of skills, perhaps none more anticipated than a knack for making the players around him better.
As a local product, Carter will face high expectations, but that is nothing he isn't ready to deal with, according to Brown.
“Stephon has a very mature perspective on where he is as a player. He's a freshman, but he has played against the highest levels of competition, both in the CIF Tournament and with his travel ball teams, and always excelled.”
With the injury to Alex Johnson, Carter may see increased minutes as a point guard this season, an adjustment Brown doesn't see as a bad thing.
“It may actually be a good thing for his long term development. He's a player who has been used to having the ball in his hands in big games for a long time.”
Freshman guard Marcus Hall is another local product (Bakersfield Christian) who could contribute immediately. While the coaches are excited about Hall's offensive skill set, they also see him as a top–flight defender.
The last of the incoming freshmen is redshirt forward James Albright, who should see significant action in his first full season. Albright is a good rebounder with solid instincts and perimeter skills who will give the Roadrunners a lot of versatility in terms of personnel groupings because of his eclectic skill set.
With versatility seeming to be a theme, the 'Runners added a pair of juco forwards who may be used in a variety of pairings. Junior George DeLeon led Fresno City College to the 2007 state title and was the Central Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2009. Sophomore Donald Johnson is a long, lean rebounding machine who averaged a double–double (12.1 points, 10.1 rebounds) at Eastern Arizona. He could make an immediate splash this season.
The final pieces to the puzzle are junior guard Chris Smith and freshman Jeff Osborne. Smith led the state in scoring as a freshman at L.A. Southwest College. Osborne redshirted at CSUB in 2009.
