Defending champion Eagles start season with Talented, Inexperienced Hoops Roster

All the Eagle men's basketball players who did the heavy lifting during last year's conference championship season are gone.

Add up all the numbers posted by the five sophomores on this year's roster and you get 8 points per game, 7 rebounds per game, 2.5 assists per game, and 1.5 steals. Or a little more if you only consider league games.

Head coach Kyle Heath has his first Golden Valley Conference Coach of the Year award but none of the returning starters who allowed him to use the same starting lineups over and over the past two seasons.

Still, going into Friday's season-opener at Napa Valley, Heath said, "I like our group. We've got good guards, big wings, and energy guys. We've got more talent than ever, but that doesn't guarantee success. It might take time."

It took some time last year, too. The Eagles went 5-12 in the 2023 pre-season before a 9-1 conference campaign that resulted in College of the Siskiyous' first GVC men's basketball title in 20 years. They did it with guys who won a ton of postseason awards, including MVP, two 1st Team All-Conference, and an All-Conference Honorable Mention. The freshman who played the most last year, Tanner Jolley, did not return.

Of the five sophomores on the 2024-25 roster, only 6-foot guard Matthew McEwen of Yreka played for the Eagles during conference last year. He was part of the rotation and played hard on both ends of the court.

Another sophomore, 6-1 guard Josh Allen of Australia, got considerable playing time off the bench two years ago for the Eagles, but missed all of last year because of an injury.

The three other sophomores -- 5-9 guard Alex Padilla of Chico, 6-1 guard Cian Campbell of Australia, and 6-9 center Bryce Rollins of Ione, OR – have talent but little to no game experience at the junior college level.

Allen is beginning the season as a starter, and Heath said the other sophomores will get opportunities.

Then there's 11 freshmen. Heath says it's one of the most talented first-year groups he's had in his 14 seasons as head coach.

Two freshmen guards will join Allen in the Eagles' initial starting lineup, and several big wings will either start or contribute off the bench.

"We have depth," Heath said. "Our second team could be as good as our first. We want our identity to be defense first, play tough and physical but not dirty. Stay connected and trust each other. Switch if needed. On offense, we want a lot of movement and sharing the ball, cutting and screening. If you draw a defender, make the extra pass. Take high percentage shots."

He said he agrees with the words of another coach: "Defense tells you if you win, offense tells you by how much."

Last year's team didn't score a ton of points, but they held conference opponents to fewer than 70 points in 7 of 10 games and fewer than 75 points in all but a 93-73 loss at Redwoods. Later, the Eagles beat Redwoods in a key game at home, 68-62.

The new guards who have earned starting roles are 6-3 Jeremiah Collins of Pittsburg, CA, and 6-1 Alex Choi of Portland, OR.

Heath said Collins is a quick, athletic left-hand shooter who "can get downhill, finish at the rim, and make a play." Choi, who weighs 175 pounds, "is big and strong and has a high basketball IQ. He's like Josh Allen: he defends and can make shots."

The big wings are Jalen McKinnies, a 6-4 guard/forward from Colorado; Jeremy Gaut, a 6-6 guard/forward from South Medford; Jacob Dallas, a 6-4 forward from Colorado; and Davis Warren, a 6-5 forward from Yuba City.

"It's nice to have athletic 6-5, 6-6 guys on the court," Heath said. "We're counting on those four to hold down the back end."

He said McKinnies is "long and athletic, can cut off a screen, post up, and defends well," while Gaut, too, is "long and athletic, can post up, and is one of our better 3-point shooters."

Dallas is a "super-active" post player who averaged double doubles in high school, is "quick to the ball and can get us extra possessions." Warren was a red-shirt last year at Butte who "posts up, can finish at the rim, and is more polished offensively."

Sophomore Bryce Rollins, at 6-9 and 250 pounds, is another big post who Heath sees helping the Eagles in certain matchups.

Like Jeremiah Collins, two other freshmen from Pittsburg, CA, are playing for the Eagles: 5-9 guard Ty Campos-Reese and 6-foot guard Kwame Mosley, while Gavin McLean is a 6-2 guard from Grants Pass, OR; Mareon Chapman is a 5-10 guard from Colorado; and Kyler Ellyson is a 5-9 guard from Marysville.

Heath, again being assisted by his Cascade College teammate Adrian Russell, describes himself as excited and nervous going into the season. "We have more talent than ever, but we have a lot figure out." The team improved during scrimmages in September against American River and De Anza and in early October against Southwestern Oregon. They also "got humbled at times, which is good too. It lets us know we have work to do."

The Nov. 1st start to the season is a week earlier than normal, but Eagle hoops fans will have a longer than normal wait to see the team play a home game. There are none in November and December. The first home game is the conference opener against Lassen on Jan. 8th.

Before then the Eagles will be on the road for the Tip Off at Napa Valley and tournaments at Las Positas, American River, Cosumnes River, San Jose, and San Mateo.

Once conference starts in January, Heath said he expects the next GVC title to be up for grabs.

By Steve Gerace