Cosumnes River College basketball

Clark Classic Commences
Nicholas Podesta - Sports Information officer
Cosumnes River College athletics

Hawks struggle in Mendo, host Clark Classic this week

The 2012-2013 Cosumnes River College men’s basketball team kicks off its campaign at home this week, as they host the 34th Annual James Clark Invitational, which opens Thursday and runs through Saturday.  The tournament once again boasts a diverse field, as five different conferences, and contrasting styles of play are represented in the tournament. Returning to the event will be Chabot College of Hayward, Columbia College of Sonora, Feather River College of Quincy, Merced Junior College, Modesto Junior College, Napa Valley College and Porterville College. The double-elimination style event kicks off tomorrow at 2 PM, with games to follow at 4, 6 and 8 PM. The Hawks will host Merced Junior College in their home opener tomorrow at 6.  CRC defeated Chabot College last season in the 3rd place game, 93-77.

The Hawks look to improve after a disappointing 1-2 showing at the Ed Boyle Classic at Mendocino College in Ukiah. Cosumnes River played well in the opening game against Butte, taking control for the majority of the contest. Butte mounted a strong comeback in the second half, eventually taking the lead late in the contest. However, Miguel French (Lindhurst HS/Marysville) hit what would prove to be the game winner from the short corner with 0.6 seconds remaining, to give the Hawks the 69-68 victory. Charles Standifer (Capital Christian HS/Sacramento) led all scorers with 30 points, while also contributing nine rebounds.

Things proved more difficult in the second game against host Mendocino College.  The Hawks struggled defensively for most of the contest, getting in foul trouble early. CRC closed the deficit to one point late in the second half, but the shorthanded Hawks ran out of gas, falling 74-65.  Standifer once again led all scorers with 32 points in the effort.  The youth and inexperience of the CRC roster was also on display in the third contest against Bay Valley conference foe Los Medanos. The Hawks stormed out of the gates, taking a 36-18 advantage midway through the first half. The defensive pressure bothered CRC down the stretch however, as the Mustangs managed to rally back to close the deficit to single digits heading into the second half. The lead changed hands several times throughout the second half, before the Mustangs pulled away late.  Rodney Cook (Bethel HS/Vallejo) closed the gap with consecutive three point baskets, but it was too little too late, as CRC fell to LMC 69-65 in the 3rd place game. Cook and Standifer paced the Hawks offense with 12 points apiece.

Cosumnes River (1-2) looks to improve this week as they host Merced Junior College (0-5) in their home opener during the first round of the 34th Annual James Clark Classic. Tipoff is tentatively scheduled for 6 PM. Opening round matchups are scheduled as follows:

Thursday November 29

Columbia Claim Jumpers vs Napa Valley Storm @ 2 PM

Modesto JC Pirates vs Porterville Pirates @ 4 PM

Cosumnes River Hawks vs Merced Blue Devils @ 6 PM

Chabot Gladiators vs Feather River Golden Eagles @ 8 PM

Los Medanos College by four

In the Ed Boyle Mendocino Classic this weekend, Los Medanos College topped Consumnes River College 69-65.

Los Medanos College

Drew (Antioch High) Cones 6 0-2 16 (four treys, nine assists)

Nick (Freedom High) Blount 5 3-6 13 (10 rebounds)
Marquis (Mt. Diablo High) Arron 6 0-0 12

Cosumnes River College

Charles (Capital Christian High) Standifer 4 2-6 12
Rodney (Bethel High) Cook 4 2-2 12
Nate (Granite Bay High) Brilingtton 4 2-2 11

It's Velasco in the middle for CRC

 photo courtesy of Chico Enterprise Record

In another life and another body, Jaycob Velasco would be directing his basketball team as a point and his football squad from the quarterback position.

That's because he is the thinking man on the court and field. But at 6-foot-6 and some change and 250 pounds, he has utilized his analytical skills in the paint and on the offensive line to very good effect in high school.

Now his focus is exclusively basketball and he's a freshman member of Coach James Giacomazzi's Cosumnes River College (CRC) Hawks.

With his gridiron days behind him -- the constant collisions and pounding as an offensive tackle left him with back spasms that placed limitations on his football participation and off-the-field life -- Velasco is now adapting to participating in and facing the skill level of some of the best community college basketball in the country.

"I love basketball just as much and I don't have to be cautious," he explained.

He's also bringing some old friends with him as asked what are his best basketball skills, Velasco said,"I have extremely high motor. I'm extremely active. Plus, I have a high IQ and I work on reading what my teammates and opponents are doing." Playing down low as a prep center required reading the court as did surveying the opponent directly opposite him on the line as well as linebackers, cornerbacks and safeties in football.

His weight conditioning work at CRC has already resulted in the dropping of 20 pounds.

So why CRC?

Velasco played at Pleasant Valley High in Chico but spent time earlier in Sacramento.

"I've known Tony Gill (6-foot-9 former CRC player now at Pacific) since middle school and I've known Ryan Salmonson (6-foot-10 former CRC player now at North Dakota) from playing AAU ball." Gill, Salmonson, JJ Mina and others graduated, leaving a hole in the Hawks frontcourt.

He has already noticed a major contrast.

"It's a lot different from high school," Velasco observed, "where the center stays down low, wings are on the sides and the guards are outside."

Here's Coach Giacomazzi on his new man in the middle: "Jaycob will be an effective player for us this season. The better he gets conditioning-wise will allow him to do more on the court for us and he will not only be productive inside but from the perimeter as well.  We really like Jaycob's skill set and look forward to seeing him progress week by week."

Velasco's ultimate goal is earning a degree in criminology and becoming a police officer. His thinking and moving will come in quite handy in that competition too.

The 2012-13 Consumnes River College roster

Coach James Giacomazzi saw Tony Gill sign with Pacific, Ryan Salmonson head off to North Dakota, James Tillman move south to Cal State Los Angeles, JJ Mina go a couple of states over to Colorado State Pueblo and Tony Baldocchi hit the country roads of West Virginia with Mountain State University.

That's a big hit and a lot of size lost.

But excellent athleticism is sprinkled throughout the 2012-13 CRC roster. That, and a whole lot of youth.

"We do have some talent," Giacomazzi offered, "but by and large we are young and have to work hard to develop our fundamentals and footwork. I have no doubt we will be where we want to be once we get going for real. I can see what type of team we can become, so now is the fun part where we all have to come together and work hard to achieve our goals."

Here are the early August Hawks:

* Justin Barrels, guard, 6-foot-2, 180 pounds, freshman (Central High, Fresno)

* AJ Bridges, guard, 5-foot-10, 180 pounds, sophomore (Monterey Trail High)

* Nate Brilingtton, guard, 5-foot-11, 180, freshman (Granite Bay High)  

* Shauwn Brooks, forward, 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, sophomore (Pleasant Grove High)

* Rodney Cook, guard, 5-foot-11, 170 pounds, freshman (Bethel High)  
* Miguel French, forward, 6-foot-5, 185 pounds, freshman (Lindhurst High)    

* Jason Gish, guard, 6-foor-5, 180 pounds, freshman (Valley Christian Academy)

* Brenden Glapion, guard, 6-foot-2, 170 pounds, freshman (Washington High, San Francisco)

* Orion Kidd, forward, 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, sophomore (Bradshaw Christian High)

* Charles Standifer, guard, 6-foot-5, 185 pounds, sophomore (Capital Christian High, USF transfer)    

* Manik Thiara, guard, 6-foot-4, 180 pounds, freshman (River Valley High)

* Jaycob Velasco, forward, 6-foot-7, 260 pounds, freshman (Pleasant Valley High)

Three more Nor Cal talents to Consumnes River

The word from Consumnes River College Coach James Giacomazzi is that he has three more players lined up for next season:

* 6-foot-5 Charles Standifer Jr., the former Capital Christian High standout and transfer from the University of San Francisco

* 5-foot-11 Rodney Cook, the former Bethel High standout and MVP of the Solano County Athletic League

* 6-foot-3 Brenden Glapion, the former MVP of the AAA conference in San Francisco at Washington High and most recently Seattle University.

Earlier, Giacomazzi announced that Skyline High's Paris Davis, the MVP of the 2011-12 Oakland Athletic League, was CRC-bound.

Tony Gill stays local

Joe Davidson has the scoop on Consumnes River College's Tony Gill commitment to Coach Bob Thomason and Pacific. The Tigers really needed a big and Gill fills that bill.

DVC double up on CRC

Diablo Valley 89, Consumnes River 44

Diablo Valley College

Ronnie Baker 10 2-2 25 (three treys)
Tyerelle Phillips 6 6-8 18
Brian Goins 6 3-3 17
Damon Jones 4 1-2 13 (four treys)

Consumnes River College

Tony Baldocchi 6 1-1 16 (three treys)