Gavilan men’s basketball team still playing with pride despite
slow start
Tito Addison is on a mission. Problem is, the ship he is leading is having a hard time getting up off the ground.
The 2010-11 season for the Gavilan men’s basketball team did not start the way the fifth-year head coach figured it would. Before fall practices commenced, three prospective starters left the team, causing Addison to scratch his head from Day 1.
“I had three starters on August 31 who I thought were going to be here. And when I woke up September 1, I didn’t have them,” said Addison, who does not have an assistant coach on the bench with him. “And for a program like this, that’s devastating. You are basically left with backup plan ‘B.’ Those three guys would have helped just with their experience.”
The Rams are off to an unfavorable 1-12 start.
“Personally, this is my 11th year of coaching, and I’ve been in situations far worse than this,” Addison said. “It’s a culture that needs to be changed.”
Where to start in the process of establishing an identity for the program is the key. And Addison pointed to recruiting, which he said he has struggled with over the last few years.
The Rams roster consists of 14 players, including nine freshmen and zero from Gilroy or Morgan Hill. Sophomore Colten Alvers (San Benito) and sophomore James Henrard (Anzar) are the only two with local ties.
“It’s my first year without a kid from Gilroy,” Addison said. “The tough thing is getting that kid here.
“Unfortunately, we are in a situation where we struggle to get that first- and- second-tier player here. So now it’s time to go get that community kid and then go wrestle and fight for that other kid that San Jose City, West Valley and De Anza want and show them that this is the place where they can come and excel. You better believe, I’m committed to do what I can.”
The Rams’ second-leading point producer is 6-foot-2 freshman guard Zachary Smith, who played his prep ball in Aurora, Colo. at Cherokee Trail High School. Smith puts up nine points per game and had a 26-point outburst against Skyline on Nov. 24. Freshman Davontea Johnson and sophomore Jeremy Aguirre pace the team in steals with 14 and 13, respectively.
“There is a light at the end of the tunnel, but we still have a lot of work to do this year,” Addison said. “As a coach, all I want is to make sure the team improves. My job now is to make sure these guys get something out of this year and keep them in the classroom.”
On the court, the 2010-11 campaign hit turbulence from the get go and a 0-9 start followed suit. But after that difficult initial stretch, the Rams had pieced together three of its best outings to date.
Gavilan went 1-1 at the Skyline Tournament, knocking off Marin 54-47 for its first win of the year Dec. 11 after relinquishing a lead against Las Positas the day before in a 67-44 loss.
Four days later, Gavilan traveled to Sonora to face Columbia and held a nine-point second-half advantage, but watched that gap evaporate in a narrow 74-68 defeat.
With a new-found confidence and a pair of solid practices under their belts, the Rams welcomed Las Positas to Gilroy on Saturday in their final non-conference tilt prior to the launch of Coast Conference action on Jan. 5.
However, the progress the Rams made took a steep tumble backwards in a lopsided 79-48 loss.
The Rams have struggled shooting the ball thus far, averaging 34 percent from the field as a team. The trend continued Saturday as the Rams hit on just 31 percent of their shots.
Despite the lack of conversions, the Rams were down just eight with seven minutes remaining in the first half. The shooting woes caught up with Gavilan, though, and Las Positas went on a gut wrenching 18-6 run and a 38-18 deficit to close out the half.
The gap never reached less than 20 in the second half.
Freshman Marc Speaks, out of Gunderson, posted a team-high 10 points, and freshman Matt Galindo, a Lincoln High alum, followed close behind with nine.
The Rams’ leading scorer, 6-foot-7 sophomore Christian Camacho, who is getting looks from Division II schools, was held to just two points. Camacho is averaging 13 points and seven rebounds, though.
“That was a tough loss for us because we had shown improvement over the last two weeks,” Addison said. “We were a brand new team the last two weeks and I thought things were starting to sink in.”
And so it goes for the Rams. Effort, drive and commitment, with meager results to show for it all.
“But they surprise me and come back each and every day, ready to go and are willing to try it again,” Addison said. “They have pride and they play with a bunch of pride. We come in each day and try our best to play the best we can. The disappointing thing is, with all the effort that they put in, why not learn from their mistakes and they are not doing that.”
The Rams open conference action against Cabrillo College on Jan. 5 at 7 p.m. in Gilroy.
I think even the community filling the seats up, I know it may not be the product they want to see, but just having them here, the kids will probably be nine, 10 points better just to see that support,” Addison said.
