PORT ANGELES — Second-year head coach Mitch Freeman says the 2014-15 Peninsula College men’s basketball team is one fans will embrace.
“We have a team that the community would love to support,” Freeman said. “I hope you can come out and watch Pirate Basketball.”
The Peninsula men went 12-11 and narrowly missed the playoffs in Freeman’s first season at the helm.
This year’s team has more height, more depth and strong chemistry.
“We are young team with only five guys who have played in a college game, but we have size and depth at each position that will allow us to be a competitive basketball team,” Freeman said.
“We are very excited and anxious to get the season started.”
The Pirates open their non-conference schedule Friday at Highline, a team that went 23-8 last year, good for third place in the Northwest Athletic Conference West Division.
Peninsula fans will see a well-rounded, well-coached team led by Geno Horsley, a 5-foot-10 sophomore guard from Tacoma, who averaged 8.4 points last season, which ranked third on the team, in a mostly backup role.
Other returners are Domach Domach, a 6-3 sophomore guard from Kennewick, and Jal Deng, a 6-3 sophomore guard from Anchorage, Alaska.
Other guards include C.J. Woods, a 6-0 freshman from Friday Harbor; Kareem Babbs Jr., a 6-2 freshman from Tacoma; Ryley Callaghan, a 6-1 freshman from Port Orchard; Deonte Dixon, a 6-3 freshman from Bremerton; Chris Reis, a 5-9 sophomore from Spokane; and Alex Ironside, a 6-0 freshman from Pu’unui, Hawaii.
Forwards include Malik Mayeux, a 6-5 freshman from Tacoma; Jeremiah Hobbs, a 6-4 freshman from Seattle; Dimitri Amos, a 6-6 sophomore from Las Vegas; Zach Nibler, a 6-4 freshman from Olympia; and Jonah Cook, a 6-9 freshman from Mount Vernon.
Following their road opener Friday, the men will play in a tournament at Skagit Valley Nov. 28-30 before returning home to host the third annual First Federal Pirate Classic on Dec. 6-7.
That tournament will feature teams from Skagit Valley, South Puget Sound and Centralia.
The Pirates will then close out their non-conference schedule at tournaments at Big Bend and South Puget Sound and then host Pierce on Dec. 30.
Conference play then runs from Jan. 10 through Feb. 28.
Coach Freeman’s staff for 2014-15 includes assistant coaches Jon Ing, Brian Shirley and Jeremiah Johnson and student assistant Colin Williamson.
Pirates drop scrimmage
The Peninsula men lost to the Blue Angeles in a scrimmage over the weekend 69-62.
Freshman Ryley Callaghan led the Pirates in scoring for the second straight scrimmage, sharing the team lead of 10 points with Jonah Cook.
Malik Mayeux and Kareem Babbs scored eight points apiece.
Jeremiah Hobbs pulled down a team-high eight rebounds, Mayeux grabbed seven and Domach Domach had six boards.
Callaghan led Peninsula with four assists.
For the Blue Angels, Alfred Davis had 22 points, including three 3-pointers.
Jake Anderson added 13 and new Port Angeles High School boys basketball coach Kasey Ulin scored 10.
Kids free
The Peninsula College women’s basketball team will host a Kids Free Day for its game against Wenatchee Valley on Saturday at 4 p.m.
Everyone 17 and younger will be admitted to the game for free.
