Home  |  Roster  |  Schedule/Results  |  Coaching Staff  |  News  |  Team Statistics

May 2, 2009
Promising Finish for Slug Hoopsters

SANTA CRUZ, CA --The 2008/09 Men’s Basketball Team had their best season to date under Coach Johnson, finishing with an 11 and 15 record and runner up in the Western Region Independent Post Season Tournament for the second season in a row, while never having its projected starting 5 on the floor any time throughout the season .

The season started out a little shaky as the Slugs would start the season with several members of the team suffering from minor nicks and bruises after a grueling preseason camp and scrimmage. But the biggest injuries would be to Scotty Buck and Eric Norton.  Buck, last season’s Freshman starter at the wing, was recovering from an offseason knee injury and Junior transfer starting Point Guard Eric Norton, broke a bone in his foot the week before the team’s first game. These injuries definitely caused the Slugs some early problems.  

Once the season got underway the Slugs would suffer 5 straight losses to some pretty good competition, NCAA DIII Sweet 16 finisher, Puget Sound, D-2, San Francisco State, NAIA D-1, Point Loma, and SCIAC Champion, Claremont.

After the tough start, the Slugs got on a roll and started putting some wins together.  Buck would come back and give the team a lift and help them to a fourth place finish in the always competitive Redlands University Tournament.  Sophomore Guard, Ryan Matsuoka who would end up as the team’s best player, made All Tournament for the second tournament in a row.

Going into the Christmas break the team would be 3-7, but showing signs of coming together.  Buck would again go down, this time for the remainder of the season with an illness.  Norton came back from his foot injury and some of the other players started getting comfortable with their roles on the team.
Guards (Senior) Eric Davis, (Juniors) Miguel Smith, Ehson Mortazaie, Brandon Sanchez, and (Freshman) Tenzin Soepa started playing like Coach Johnson anticipated.  They started defending and pushing the ball on offense, getting numerous steals on defense and getting the team into more of a fast-breaking offense the team was shooting for.  The post players, (Senior) Ted Monson, (Junior) Neil Brennan, (Sophomore) Jacob Moore and (Freshmen) Ryan Swanson, and Del Hopkins started taking advantage of their athleticism and started causing teams problems.  Brennan became the shot blocking leader in the school’s history for a season with 61(16th in NCAA D-3) and career with 116.

Matsuoka and Junior wing, Daniel Bryant put together the team’s overall best performances.  Bryant who had to play all the post and wing positions throughout the year, brought the energy that the team needed, finishing 2nd in all most every offensive category.  Matsuoka had one of the best seasons in Slugs history as he would be named to the All Tournament team in every tournament the team played, (6) 1st team All Independent, and runner-up Independent Player of the Year.  Matsuoka would lead the team in every offensive category and finish second overall in scoring for D-3 Independents with an 18.6 points per game average.

With everyone but Eric Davis returning, the team is looking to improve on its overall record and make a run at the elusive 20 win season and a shot to the NCAA post season tournament.