Cal Maritime does well away from the water

Contrary to vivid imagination, Cal Maritime doesn't play its home hoops games on an aircraft carrier anchored in San Pablo Bay -- it's a college based in Vallejo and featuring a successful men's basketball program headed by Coach Bryan Rooney.

As evidence, note that CM's California Pacific Conference (CPC) opponents got keelhauled nine times last season as the yes, Keelhaulers, concluded league play with a 9-3 record and a second place finish in season four of Rooney's tenure. He earned Coach of the Year honors in 2008-09 and 2009-10 and the Keelhaulers won the school's first conference championship during the 2010 season.

Here's Rooney on some of the Cal Maritime assets plus the benefits and challenges in running the basketball program

"We are part of the state system with the same requirements as any CSU school," he began. "We recruit high schoolers and transfers and as I put it 'if it's the right fit, it's a great fit and turns out well.'"

Cal Maritime offers a handful of majors, with a 95% job placement rate upon graduation according to Rooney. The primary academic focuses are on engineering, global studies, international business with a transportation logistics emphasis and marine transportation. There is also a summer study abroad program that featured visiting Australia and New Zealand last year.

"The best part of the process for students enrolling here is they will have a degree setting them up for life," Rooney stated.

On the court, his basketball philosophical underpinning consists of doing what it takes to get better everyday because "it only happens if that is a daily focus."

"We want our guys to be a tough, smart, unselfish and cohesive group," Rooney explained. "The idea is for everyone to be a great teammate. It's all about getting the right type of guy."

It's a generalization but Rooney's recruits are typically more responsible in that as he puts it: "they understand how all the pieces work together because they have thought our their futures a bit more."

This results in greater maturity on and off the court as Rooney and his staff don't have to hound players about matters like class attendance and concepts such as defensive rotations are grasped quicker.

If any clarification is needed, Rooney notes: "There are 24 hours in a day so where are we going to focus? Is it on getting better or having to beg guys to go to class? Fortunately, our players understand the great opportunity they have. Our guys take pride in both our school and program."

Asked about the desire to move onward and upward, Rooney hits the trifecta as a satisfied coach. "It's important to be at a place where you feel comfortable. I have some tremendous coaches on my staff, I work for a good AD and I enjoy everyday working with our players."

The outcome? "We've set a school record for wins in two of the last three years and there is a buzz on campus."

Rooney has also long known what profession was his calling: "I've always wanted to coach basketball -- I really enjoy football but I love basketball." He was a three sport athlete at St. Mary's High in Stockton, injured during football season as a senior. Missing that pigskin season fomented a focus on getting back to the gridiron and Rooney played football as a freshman at St. Mary's before the Gaels dropped football. Then it was a couple of seasons playing for Brian Katz at San Joaquin Delta College and also for Bill Treseler at Dominican University. While at the latter school, Rooney was named to the First Team All-Conference team and led the league in free throw percentage while captaining the Penguins to the school's first conference championship and a trip to the National Tournament.

His coaching bonafides include (working backwards) a season at Claremont McKenna College under Coach Ken Scalmanini plus a year at San Francisco State and two at Dominican University with Treseler. "I've learned and played under some great coaches." He also has published an 88 page graduate thesis titled "Determining the effectiveness of the 1-4 offense in college basketball in relation to scoring averages and winning percentages."  

What's also important to note is the concentration of Northern California talents on the Keelhauler roster:

* Kevin Hicks, 6-foot-0 senior guard out of Stockton
* Jaquai Wiley, 6-foot-0 sophomore guard out of Sacramento
* Isaiah Johnson, 6-foot-2 senior guard out of North Highlands
* Ty Houghton, 6-foot-1 senior guard out of Redding
* Josh Greenwell, 6-foot-2 senior guard out of Vallejo
* Daniel Eberhardt, 6-foot-1 senior out of Roseville
* Ryan Pearson, 6-foot-5 sophomore forward out of Elk Grove
* Isaiah Moore, 6-foot-3 senior forward out of San Leandro

Plus, the 2011 recruits display similar geographical ties:

* Keven Campbell, 6-foot-0 guard out of Stockton (Delta College)
* Howie Manzo, 6-foot-0 guard out of Hayward (Chabot JC)
* Ethan Guiles, 6-foot-6 post out of Colfax (Lane CC, OR)
* Hamilton Chang, 6-foot-5 forward out of City College of San Francisco
* Patrick Dungo, 5-foot-8 guard out of Pinole Valley High

Besides Cal Maritime, Holy Names, Menlo, Pacific Union, Simpson, UC - Merced and William Jessup currently make up the CPC membership, all National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics schools.

By the way, the Keelhaulers nickname is derived from the ancient punitive practice involving roping the hands of a crew member and hauling him under the keel of the ship. Luckily, defeated Cal Maritime opponents do not have to endure a similar fate.