The Fresno City College Men’s Basketball team is one step closer to repeating as state champions after winning the Central Valley Conference title. The Rams defeated Columbia College on Saturday by the score of 79-64 to finish with a 12 – 0 record in conference play.
The team is riding a 12-game winning streak. Their last loss of the season came against Bakersfield on Dec. 30, 2012.
This is the 12th consecutive year the Rams took the CVC title. Three of which ended with FCC as state champions.
Sophomore forward Udun Osakue says of the CVC title, “It feels good. All the hard work paid off so now we just need to keep getting better everyday.”
The team knew that expectations would be at their highest for the season.
Returning guard Thomas Hammock says “I’m just happy we went 12-0. I haven’t lost a conference game since I’ve been here for two years. We’re supposed to go undefeated.”
For Madec, the CVC title is always special.
“There are some good coaches and good teams in our conference and to go undefeated is a big accomplishment,” said Madec.
While the team knows the importance of the CVC title, they are quick to turn the conversation to the upcoming postseason.
“There’s the preseason, there’s the conference season and then there is the postseason,” Madec said. “The postseason is a one game season so the stakes are a lot higher and you just hope you’ve had enough adversity and you’re battle tested and playing your best basketball so it’s not a one game season and ends up being more than that.”
The team consists of five returning players including three starters but Madec is quick to clarify that the teams are very different from one another.
Madec said “This team has its own identity. It’s a totally different team. It’s a different style. Last year’s team was much more deliberate, much more physical. This team is more of a transition team,” said Madec.
He adds that all great teams take on their own identity and what he has to do as a coach is make adjustments to adapt to his team and personnel.
This year the Rams have been led by scoring sophomore Alex Perez, who averaged 13.3 points per game as well as sophomores Udun Osakue and Junior Morgan who both averaged 10.9 points per game. Morgan and Osakue also led the team in defensive rebounds with 119 and 100, respectively.
Hammock feels that as a returning player, it is his year to win the state championship.
“I feel like this year I have to win the state championship for me and the returning sophomores. This year the freshmen have to play for us,” said Hammock.
The Rams also clinched the No. 2 seed in the playoffs. They will host either Merritt College or American River on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. in the first round of the playoffs.
