New Coach, New Outlook For Men's Basketball As 2022-23 Season Begins

COMPLETE PCC MEN'S BASKETBALL 2022-23 ROSTER

PCC MEN'S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE 

A program that won one game last season has already received some media buzz thanks to a new head coach and a revitalized roster. With Ryan Frazer now directing the Pasadena City College men's basketball team, the Lancers were ranked No. 19 in the CCCMBCA Preseason SoCal Top 20.

PCC begins the 2022-23 season today at the Ventura We Play Hard Tournament, facing #11 Riverside City College (4 p.m. tip-off). PCC also plays host and #13 Ventura on Friday, Nov. 4  (6 p.m.) and conclude the tourney on Saturday, Nov. 5 (10 a.m.) v. #17 Saddleback. 

Frazer led MiraCosta last season as the Cinderalla Spartans, playing as the #21 regional playoff seed, upset #12 Cerro Coso, #5 Santiago Canyon and #4 San Diego City to advance to the CCCAA State Championships. 

In taking over the PCC program as a full-time coach/instructor, Frazer has sort of turned the Lancers into "MiraCosta North" for this season as three members of the '21-22 Spartans and five redshirts transferred over to become Lancers.

Eight sophomores populate the team's 15-player roster with two returning starters in All-South Coast Conference guard Jordan Flowers and shooting guard Brandon Torimaru. Flowers averaged 14.9 points per game, led the team at a 3.3 assists average, topped the squad in free throw accuracy (77 percent), and averaged 2 steals a game. He made a team-high 69 baskets from 3-point range. Torimaru started 24 of 27 games for the 2021-22 Lancers in averaging 8.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2 steals a game.

The two will be part of the playing rotation but as of now it will be an all former MiraCosta starting lineup that has a big man in 6-foot-9 post player Nigel Wilson, who started 15 games for the Spartans, averaging 4.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per contest in 18 overall games. He totaled six points, seven rebounds and made four big steals in MC's upset victory over San Diego City in last year's regional finals.

Guard Jayden Winfrey played in 28 games for MiraCosta as a freshman, averaging 3.9 points, 3.5 assists and 3.1 rebounds per contest and he is complemented by wing Jonathan Tchengang, who averaged 3.2 points and 3.1 rebounds a game in 19 games last season. Of the freshmen redshirts ready to become integral parts of the PCC lineup are wings Myles Watkins, a District 9-5A Second Team selection from Centennial High in Frisco, Texas, and Nurridin Abdur-Rahmann, the first 1,000-point scorer in the history of his high school--Atlantic County Institute of Technology in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

"I'm excited about the possibilities of our team this year," Frazer said. "We have a lot of players who understand what it takes to be successful at the college level and will rely on that to help us win. Opening up against #11 Riverside will be a great chance for us to test ourselves and see where we rank in the state."

A key reserve is sophomore transfer guard Rande Harper, who played at Columbia-Green Community College in Hudson, New York as a freshman in 2019-2020, averaging 20.5 points, 5.3 assists and 3 steals a game. He had a high of 39 points in a game v. Cayuga. The North Carolina product also played at Chattanooga State CC in Tennessee in 2020-21 but received his season back due to the COVID-19 waiver.

Another important reserve is 6-8 redshirt transfer forward from MiraCosta in John Parmeter-Zapata, who earned Northern Nevada 2A Defensive Player of the Year honors at North Tahoe High.

Two experienced college players are part of the roster in PCC redshirt sophomore guard Caleb Gerber, who averaged 4 points, 2 assists and 2 rebounds a game in 24 games at Golden West College in 2019-2020 and 6-5 forward Marquise Nelloms, who averaged 8.5 points and 4.3 rebounds a game in 24 contests at Butte College in 2019-20. He scored a college high of 21 points v. Redwoods. Nelloms helped St. Anthony High turn around its boys basketball program as he participated on three Camino Real League title teams.

The roster is rounded out by Shant Chenorhavorian, a 2-time All-CIF shooting guard from Arcadia High, guard Micah Jernigan, who led Texas District 22 6A in 3-point baskets as a senior at South Houston High, 6-5 wing Brad'n Archer, a MC frosh transfer redshirt who played at Washington Prep HS in Los Angeles, and frosh guard Myles Carmon, a Long Beach Press-Telegram Dream Team Second Team selection as a senior at Long Beach's Millikan High.

In trying to turn around the PCC basketball culture after a number of down seasons, Frazer said, "Taking over a program is always a daunting task regardless of the previous success or failures of a program. As I continue to make connections in the community, it's clear to me that Pasadena is a very special place. The support we have already received before even playing a single game is much appreciated. As my staff and I continue to establish our culture and identity, we recognize that winning at the college level isn't easy. I have never been one to run from a challenge. I know that the young men currently in our program are excited about the opportunity before them."

The Lancers showed some encouraging signs when they finished 3-1 at the SoCal Jamboree Showcase, a non-traditonal scheduled exhibition event held in September. 

Frazer's assistant coaching staff also joins him from MiraCosta in Harrison Haynes and Spenser Nunes. 

PCC plays its home opener on Saturday, Nov. 12 against Citrus at Hutto-Patterson Gymnasium (6 p.m. tip-off). The Lancers host the 3-day, round robin Skip Robinson Classic on Nov. 17-19. PCC begins South Coast Conference North Division play on Jan. 18, 2023 at #8-rated LA Trade Tech.