Thursday, March 19, 2015

SJ Mercury News: Colts Sweep NorCal Men's Basketball Awards


 

By Vytas Mazeika

Daily News Staff Writer

Posted:   03/18/2015 10:08:46 PM:   about 11 hours
Cañada College swept the NorCal men's basketball awards, with Mike Reynoso named the coach of the year, sophomore Rohndell Goodwin the player of the year and guard Crisshawn Clark the freshman of the year.

The Colts (24-7), who lost in overtime in the semifinals of the state championships, were also recognized as the top team from the North by the California Community College Coaches Association.

For members of the program, at least right now, it's hard not to view the awards as a consolation prize.

"We kind of got word as we were coming off being heartbroken," said Reynoso, whose team was stunned in last week's final four when eventual state champion Saddleback College drained a 30-footer with 0.4 seconds left to force overtime. "But definitely really proud of everything that those guys accomplished. What more can you say from a kid (Goodwin) that didn't play high school basketball, coming off injuries and everything to be the NorCal player of the year. And Crisshawn to really just develop and mature his game and be the freshman of the year."

Reynoso, 31, in his second season at the helm, bounced back from a 5-22 season to lead the Colts into the state championships for the second time in program first, the previous appearance in 1994.

"It's still tough," Reynoso said. "The play still goes over and over in my head of, you know, how to do things different and be better and all that. And I think that's what great coaches have to do. I don't think I can sit there and not analyze it. And I'm probably over analyzing it to a point, but I think that's how I'm going to become great, it's by doing that."

Clark, who scored a game-high 23 in the loss to Saddleback, was the only member of the All-State Tournament team not to play in the final.

"Crisshawn set himself apart from everybody," Reynoso said. "He was the best player out there out of the four teams left, for sure."

Reynoso and his staff took the weekend off, then went on the recruiting trail Monday and checked out some of the high school NorCal semifinals Tuesday night.

"For me, that's the only way to get over it," Reynoso said. "That's the only time that I really don't think about that play to be honest you, when I'm focusing on the next year's class and developing these freshmen. Just ready to get back there, just really preparing to do that."

Email Vytas Mazeika at vmazeika@dailynewsgroup.com; follow him at Twitter.com/dailynewsvytas.

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