In 2017, Pima College’s men’s basketball team advanced all the way NJCAA Division II Elite Eight. Last year, the Aztecs’ season ended in the national championship game.
So, could the Aztecs win their first title in 2019?
“I hope so,” coach Brian Peabody said. “You know, we’re not thinking that far ahead. I’ve been relaying the same message to the guys — the only game we’re concerned about is the one right in front of us, and that’s Glendale.”
First, the Aztecs have to get through the NJCAA Region I, Division II semifinals Wednesday. Top-seeded Pima will host No. 4 Glendale Community College at 7 p.m. at the West Campus.
If it wins, Pima will move on to the region finals Friday.
The Aztecs’ 17-5 conference record is the second-best conference record in program history. Last season, Pima finished 18-4 in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference.
This time, Pima did it with an almost completely new team. Of the returners, a few redshirted last year.
Only two — Abram Carrasco and Robbie Wilson — contributed on the court last year. And they happened to be starters for the Aztecs.
Peabody said the team worked on filling in the pieces they needed. He thought the team could be good, and definitely knew the team had good individual pieces, but the challenged was in putting those pieces together the best way.
It took a while, but Peabody thinks the team has more to prove this year.
“Last year, we were probably as good as we could get at about Christmas time,” Peabody said. “This year, I still think we can get better. This group being so young and new to each other, I thought we got better today in practice. So, we just have to get better and keep moving forward.”
Some of the new pieces include freshman Rashad Smith and sophomore Kennedy Koehler.
They weren’t at Pima when the Aztecs finished national runners-up, but still felt the pressure coming in to get back to the national tournament.
Both had individual goals of what they wanted to contribute , but they know in the end it’s about how to best help the team.
“I came from a big school, so coming here was pretty much the only solid goal I had,” Koehler said. “I knew I was going to get recruited. All my individual goals really follow my team goals. If we get to the national tournament, then all the individual stuff will follow for sure.”
The Aztecs last played Glendale a week ago, and got the road win, 97-89. They also beat the Gauchos 100-82 at home on Jan. 19.
“We’re looking forward to beating the team for a third time,” Koehler said. “In college basketball, that’s definitely not easy, but we feel pretty confident we’ll get it done.”
Because this week holds such importance, Peabody hopes the team is prepared for both regional games.
“If we lose, it’s because we beat ourselves,” Peabody said. “So, I hope we go out and play the best that we can play as Pima and control what we can control — and that’s only Pima College. We can’t control what Glendale does. So, if we can do what we do, I think we’ll be OK.”
