(Tucson, AZ) As coaches and players, one season compared to the next might seem like it was tougher. Like everything that could have gone wrong, went wrong.
For the Pima Community College Men’s Basketball team, they faced many hardships and many changes within their 2019-2020 season.
For Head Coach Brian Peabody, this past season was one of the hardest years he faced being head coach at Pima Community College, Peabody said.
“We had a lot of unforeseen things happen that hadn’t happen since I’ve been head coach,” Peabody said.
After losing seven players and having to go the track team to find help, the Aztecs ended up exceeding all expetations that had been set for them, Peabody said.
The Aztecs ended up winning nineteen games and made an appearance in the Conference Championship game.
“I was really proud of my guys,” Peabody said.
Around the court, the Aztec’s keep their goals pretty simple.
Make it to the conference tournament and then win the conference tournament. The make it to the national tournament and win the National title, Peabody said.
With the 2020-2021 recruiting class that the coaching staff for the Aztec’s have brought in, brings them one step closer to achieving each one of the goals they set out to achieve in a season.
“I really tried to recruit high character guys this year,” Peabody said.
In order to make a run at achieving the goals that they have created, Peabody is huge on making sure the little things get done and that there are no excuses being brought up as to why one of his guys didn’t make it to class, or their mentor meeting, or even sitting out for a practice.
The basketball program at Pima Community College can offer their athletes a chance of going to a good Division I program and the record the basketball program has speaks for itself, Peabody said.
Trusting in the process and trusting that it will most likely workout that the athlete will continue on to play at a good program is what attracts athletes to come play for the Aztec’s, Peabody said.
In this recruiting class, there is depth, Peabody said. There are two even three guys at every position, Peabody said.
“We like to play pretty fast and score around 100 points every game,” Peabody said.
Getting the guys to campus in order to teach them the process and start implementing into their practices will only bring the Aztecs closer to achieving their goals.
Within this recruiting class Coach Peabody and his staff have brought in the National Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Alaska, Guard Chris Lee.
They have also brought in another guard out of California, Pierce Sterling.
These two guards can be vital to the success that the Aztecs can have in this upcoming season, Peabody said.
When making his team, Peabody likes to look for guys who have experience and maturity on the court and he has brought on and kept some of the maturity from his transfer athletes and returning athletes.
A transfer from Hutchinson Community College in Kansas Josh Ursery is going to be a key player for the Aztecs in this upcoming season, Peabody said.
Along with the recruits Peabody has brought in, there is still talent within the returning class.
With two-redshirt in Daniel Moody and Marcel Dean making their return this upcoming season, the Aztecs have multiple pieces that will make them successful for this upcoming season.
In this upcoming season the Aztecs are going to score a lot and make a run at the National Title and with the group of guys Peabody and his staff have brought in, those two things will come true.
