Through drills, family bonds, fun and a little bit of prayer, the Bakersfield College men’s basketball team has won some and lost some, but they know they still need to work hard for that conference title.
The team started out their season rocky only winning six of their first 14 games, but as it got closer to conference games, they realized something needed to be done differently. They needed to work together as a team to pull out a win. They played in the COS Tournament against Porterville, Oxnard and Sequoias, and it was the first tournament they won this season.
“Everyone started to step up and play as a team and not go for individual stats. We ended up winning the COS tournament because everyone contributed to each win,” said Jeff Grace, a sophomore.
Being on this team is like having another family.
Some of the players are far from home and they find family support in their teammates.
“At the end of the day, we all have each others’ backs, we are like brothers,” said Jimmy Scroggins, also a sophomore.
Alex Olcott, a freshman, said, “When we are in a tight game, it’s like we are fighting for our brothers out there.”
This team isn’t all about drills and strict business, however. They know how to have fun on the court too.
When asked about some of the fun things they do at practice, some of them said “dollar shots” were a good way to get the morale up and to just have fun on the court with the coach.”Coach [Hughes] said whoever could make it from the half-court line first would win the $20 in his pocket,” said Olcott. The men enjoy the fun in competition drills, but they say they know when to joke and when to work hard.
“Practice and basketball should be fun, and I think Coach [Hughes] understands that it shouldn’t always be drill, drill, drill,” said Scroggins.
Bobby Fisher, a freshman, has worked hard and has become sixth in the conference for individual scoring by average points.
At 14.7 points per game he is one of only four freshmen that made it into the leader’s bracket.
For this team, prayer has had an impact on them both in practice and in games.
“We pray before and after games and practices,” said Olcott. Whether it is Coach Hughes, an assistant coach, or a player, the team prays for safety on the court and off.
“We never pray for wins or about losses . coach asks if there are any requests and we also pray for the safety of our players and our friends and families,” said Scroggins.