The men’s basketball team is playing strong and peaking mid season, controlling the Big 8 Conference and rising in the state rankings to claim the no. 7 spot. The Bear Cubs have earned an 18-4 overall record and are 7-0 in conference, scoring an average of 77 points per game.
Sophomore guard Sama Taku has established his presence on the court. Taku leads the team in points per game with 17.5, 94 free throws made, 106 rebounds and 84 assists. “Taku handles the ball a lot for us, we ask a lot of him. He’s had a really good season, but he’s been in a little bit of a slump the last few games because he’s gotten into early foul trouble and turned the ball over a little bit,” head coach Craig McMillan said. “Hopefully it’s just a phase.”
One attribute that stands out when opponents face the Bear Cubs is the scoring ability of the team, particularly from the outside. Former Analy High School point guard and 2009-10 Press Democrat All-Empire Large School Player of the Year Max Fuji is making a remarkable transition from high school to the college level. Fuji is averaging 13 points per game and drawing fouls regularly, shooting a team best 88.6 percent from the line.
“Fuji’s having a very good year; all of our freshmen have been doing well,” McMillan said.
Another former Analy High School player, sophomore shooting guard Kevin Aronis, is averaging 13.1 points per game and proving lethal from the perimeter, making 72 of 165 shots, ranking second in the state and best in the conference by a large gap.
“Aronis has been our number one three point weapon,” McMillan said. “He’s hitting over three a game and there’s been some games where he’s really gotten hot. He has good range and can get his shot off just about anytime because he gets good lift and has a quick release.”
The post play has been a team effort with Henry Gill, Jordan Salley, Erik Hanson, Connor Gillette and Myles Jerrett all contributing. Salley is leading the team with 17 blocks while Jerrett has 47 defensive rebounds. Jerrett and Gill have missed some games due to injuries but are looking to close out the second half of the conference strong.
“Henry has had a tough year, he has had a hurt knee all year and hasn’t been close to 100 percent and has missed a lot of practices. Power forward Jerrett at 6’5 will be key in making a second half season run,” McMillan said. “Myles Jerrett was out a month with a broken hand. He’s got to get his timing back, but he’s a good post defender.”
Despite injuries and stiff competition in tournament and conference play, one reason the Bear Cubs have prevailed is because of a deep bench and unselfishness. “It’s a credit to the players on our team when one player goes out someone else has stepped up and did a good job in their place,” McMillan said.
