By: Miguel Dominguez
The East Los Angeles College basketball coaches are getting ready for the start of the season.
“It is too soon to say how good the basketball team is right now,” said basketball coach John Mosely. The coaches don’t know what their strengths and weaknesses are as a team, who is their best offensive player and defensive player and who is going to be starting when they play their first game off-season.
The coaches are currently getting their players in condition and having them work out before they can practice. The team doesn’t officially practice until October 1st.
“We have a lot of size this year,” said coach Mosely.
Seven-foot ELAC Center, Bryan Penn Johnson, played for Louisiana State University but the pandemic made him stay close to home. He played half a year for LSU before coming to ELAC.
Johnson felt it was better to stay closer to home with covid going on and contacted Coach Hunter Johnson about why he chose ELAC.
He plans to bring the basketball experience he had in LSU (a division I team) to ELAC, said Johnson.
Point guard and shooting guard, Demetrius Calip, has been playing basketball since he was four years old. Calip showed interest in playing for ELAC after his friend spoke to his dad about the ELAC basketball team.
“Best position for me as a basketball player,” said Calip.
The players must add responsibility before they come in to get tested and report when they enter on campus, said coach Mosely.
With the pandemic still going on, the team will have to get tested once a week. The California Community College Athletic Association (CCCA) is following the covid protocols as the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
Coaches and players on the bench are required to wear masks when the season starts.
If a team needs to be quarantined during the season and miss a game, then the team can ask to reschedule the game. If they are not allowed to reschedule, then the team must forfeit the game, said coach Mosely.
“If we [all basketball teams] follow protocols, there will be a state championship” said coach Mosley.
Fans are not permitted to attend indoor college games.
“That is something that is being worked on. If we put a good protocol system in place for our fans and it gets approved, then fans will be allowed to see our games” said coach Mosely.
November 4th thru the 7th, the Huskies will be playing in a tournament at San Francisco. This will be the start of the season for the Huskies.
Fans will have to wait until January 5th for their first home game of the season. They will be receiving El Camino College.