PREVIEW: City College men’s basketball heads north to Home Motors Tournament

Knights play three games in three days, including two top-25 opponents, revenge game

Vince Outlaw, Multimedia Journalist

November 22, 2024

Knights third-year guard Logan Huston, right, dribbles downcourt during City’s 80-75 victory over Ventura College, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. Photo by Danny Straus/City Times Media

Knights play in the 2024 Home Motors Tournament

When: Friday, Nov. 22 through Sunday, Nov. 23
Where: Joe White Memorial Gymnasium at Allan Hancock College, Santa Maria, CA
Live stats, video, and tickets are available.

Knights update: San Diego City College Knights men’s basketball (2-1) heads up the coast to Santa Maria for the 2024 Home Motors Tournament as the 7th-ranked team in the Nov. 18 California Community College Men’s Basketball Coaches Association poll. Coming off their 80-75 win over Ventura College, City faces three teams in three days, including 12th-ranked San Jose City and 22-ranked Allan Hancock. The Knights are averaging 78.3 points per game (FG% 48.9, 3PT% 40.0, FT% 57.0), more than all of this weekend’s opponents, and pulling down 28.7 rebounds per game (10.3 offensive, 18.3 defensive), less than all of their opponents. City is led on the offensive side by returners Logan Huston (19.3 ppg) and Kenny Gonzalez (16.7), along with newcomer Reid Celestin (10.0) and five other Knights averaging 3 or more points per game. The Knights are averaging 7 steals per game and forcing their opponents into an average of 18.7 turnovers per game.

Huston is playing in his third Home Motors tournament, after starting his sophomore season last year then redshirting due to injury, and has some special impetus to get three wins in three days.

“This is my third year playing in that tournament, so we’ve always dropped one since I’ve been there. So I’m hoping to go 3-0 this weekend,” Huston said.

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Here is a look at the Knights’ opponents this weekend:

Friday, Nov 22, 7:00 p.m. – Barstow Community College Vikings

The Vikings have yet to get a win this season (0-3), although two of the losses were by three points or less, including a 72-70 double-overtime loss to Cuyamaca College (5-1). They finished 2023-24 with a 2-25 overall record, finishing last in the Inland Empire Athletic Conference (1-15). Barstow has a new head coach, Amaurys Fermin, and a young roster with two sophomores and 10 active freshmen. Averaging 63 points a game (FG% 40.4, 3PT% 27.9, FT% 47.11), Viking leading scorers include Brian Shannon Jr. and Kalen Cobb at 12 points per game, Damir Conliffe (11) and Danard Collingworth Jr. (10). Barstow averages 43 rebounds per game including 16 on the offensive side, tenth and sixth in California, respectively. Cobb is pulling down 12 rebounds per game with Conliffe nabbing eight. Turnovers are a sore spot for the Vikings, committing 19 per game, with Cobb committing five per game himself.

Saturday, Nov. 23, 5:00 p.m. – San Jose City College Jaguars

The 12th-ranked Jaguars (4-1) are on a two-game win streak with their only loss coming to 21st-ranked Lassen Community College. They finished 2023-24 with a 22-8 overall record, third-place in the Coast Conference South behind eventual state champion West Valley and lost their California North Region Sweet 16 game to Yuba, who beat the Knights in the Elite Eight. Their experienced roster, including seven sophomores, is averaging 73 points per game (FG% 42.4, 3PT% 37.7, FT% 55.8) and shoots the most free throws per game in the state at 31.2 per game. Five Jaguars average double-figure scoring: Matt McAndrews (17), Tariq Weiser (14), AB Gilchrist (12), Chinedu Nwankwo (11), Davis Crilly (100). The team averages 37.4 rebounds per game with Nwankwo and Crilly with 8.6 and seven per game, respectively.

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Sunday, Nov. 24, 1:00 p.m. – Allan Hancock College Bulldogs

The 22-ranked Bulldogs’ (2-2) 2023-24 season was ended by City College in a Sweet Sixteen overtime loss 64-61, so they will be looking for revenge Sunday back on their home court. Hancock’s two losses this season were both to top-20 teams (No. 4 College of the Sequoias, No. 13 Citrus) and were both by 16 points, while they beat 23-ranked Feather River. The Bulldogs are averaging 68.3 points per game (FG%: 42.5, 3PT%: 28.6, FT%: 68.9) led by 6’7 sophomore Ay-Keen Richardson, who is averaging 15.3 points per game, up from four per game last year. Other scorers include Mykel Valrie (12), Arlind Konjuhi (10.8) and River Ortiz (10.3). Hancock averages 38.5 rebounds per game, including 14.8 offensive rebounds, twelfth in the state. City is currently only giving up six offensive rebounds per game.

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