When it comes to winter sports, very few junior colleges are doing it better than Pima Community College at the moment.Β
The undefeated and fourth-ranked Pima men's basketball team (24-0), led by 15-year head coach Brian Peabody, is the top scoring unit at the NJCAA Division II level, averaging 111 points per game.
Six Aztecs are averaging double-figure scoring, and Pima is outscoring its opponents 2,661-1,480 this season, which is an average margin of victory of 49.2 points. The Aztecs increased that margin by rolling past visiting Community Christian College 133-65 on Wednesday night.
The 11th-ranked Pima women's basketball program (18-4) is now in its 18th season under head coach Todd Holthaus, who picked up his 400th career victory earlier this season. Pima forward Kiley Sours-Miller recently eclipsed 1,000 career points and is averaging 18.2 points and 10.7 rebounds per game this season.
"It's a great time for all of our athletic teams that are doing well on the courts, fields, classrooms," said Pima athletic director Ken Jacome, who's also PCC's baseball coach. "It's an exciting time for Pima College athletics, for sure."
Ken Jacome, athletic director at Pima Community College, speaks during a 2024 press conference announcing his new role at the PCC district office in Tucson. Jacome has been the schoolβs head baseball coach since 2018.
Jacome joined "Spears & Ali" on ESPN Tucson this week to highlight the latest in Pima athletics, which is in the beginning stages of the spring sports season (baseball, softball and track). Pima baseball is 7-2, while PCC softball is 7-0. The Aztecs' first home track event is the Willie Williams Invitational on March 27-28.Β
How has it been watching Pima's undefeated basketball season?
A: "It's really fun to watch their games. They're exciting. They have talented players and they play hard. To me, that's the most fun thing to watch, is how hard they play. It doesn't matter who they're playing, they really get after it and play great defense β and they're leading the country in scoring. When you put those things together, you get the record that they have."
How about the women's team and the success that squad is having this season?
A: "They're very talented. Kiley, in my opinion, she's the best player in the conference. She's physical. If we can get her the ball in the right places, she scores at will. If we can keep her out of foul trouble and play great defense, we're going to score. We have some talented girls that surround her and can shoot the basketball. When they guard our shooters, we can get the ball inside to Kiley and she's a pretty good scorer. Both teams are fun to watch."Β
Pima College's Kiley Sours-Miller goes for a layup. She scored 25 points in the Aztecs' win on Jan. 31, 2026, to hit 1,000 for her career.
With the baseball season in full swing, what stands out to you about your team?
A: "I really like our group. We're very talented, but the thing we're struggling with right now is injuries. ... Just freak injuries. Our best hitter on our team, in the first inning of the first game, leads off and gets a base hit, then they try to pick him off at first (base) and he dislocates his shoulder; he's going to be out for six to eight weeks. It's just little things like that. We're trying to survive and manage. If we can survive through this injury spell, we're going to be good at the end of the year. We're going to take some bumps and bruises here at the beginning, because we don't have our full roster, but we'll be better in the end because of it."Β
After losing in theΒ Region I, Division II championship series, what did your team learn from that experience, and what makes you believe this season's group can take the Aztecs over the hump and compete for the NJCAA College World Series?Β
A: "We definitely have a chance. South Mountain is going to be a challenge. They've been a team we've played in the championship the last three years, but I like our group. We have some guys returning, but we have some young faces in the starting lineup right now. ... It's exciting to watch and I'm excited about this group. I would expect us to compete for a championship."
Pima's Isaac Johnson had 17 points in the 114-74 win over visiting Christian Community (Ga.) College on Jan. 10, 2026.
How would you describe the relationship between Pima College and the UA athletic departments?Β
A: "Speaking from a baseball side, we have a great relationship. We've had 10 or 12 kids from our program go over there the last few years. I know it's like that with other sports. The track team for the U of A is undergoing construction for their new track, so the U of A athletes are practicing here at Pima every day.
"We have a great relationship with the track coach (Andrew Dubs) and the program. ... The relationship between the U of A and Pima is solid in all sports. We have a great relationship with the coaches and administration. It's exciting to be down the street from a major university that's also doing great things."
How has Pima been able to adapt to modern collegiate athletes, especially with the introduction of the transfer portal, which could impact junior college athletes from transferring to NCAA schools?Β Β
A: "There's a couple reasons. No. 1, the support that we have from our upper administration. They believe in the athletic program and the benefits that come along with it. Us having great coaches in all of our sports, it really helps keep people in town and helps recruit kids to come from out of town, because the coaching staff and the development the kids will get when they come here.
"Whether it's basketball, baseball, volleyball, it doesn't matter. There's going to be development and an opportunity to move on to the next level. I think when high school players see how many players have come in and had opportunities to move on, it makes Pima College an interesting and exciting choice for them."Β
