Deep, talented Giants men's basketball team motivated for return to state's Elite Eight

By Nick Giannandrea

COS ATHLETICS

Playing in the California Community College Athletic Association's Elite Eight men's basketball tournament is an annual goal for College of the Sequoias coach Dallas Jensen.

And after the Giants failed to do so last season, there is some extra motivation to return to that stage in 2025-2026.

It will be held at Sequoias' Porter Field House, where the Giants enjoy boisterous community support.

"At the end of the day, you want to be able to compete at the Elite Eight and play at the highest level," Jensen said. "I know that's not going to happen every single year, that's just the nature of sports. But I think that's definitely a big goal of ours this year, to get back to the Elite Eight and play in front of our home crowd here at COS."

Jensen and his staff -- assistants Tommy Luu, Brandon McDermott, Michael Bedoya and Mike Fulford -- assembled a 12-man roster they believe has the potential to challenge for a conference championship and make a deep postseason run.

Sequoias launches the season at 3 p.m. Nov. 1 when it hosts perennial power and reigning state runner-up Fullerton at Porter Field House.

Cameron Kelly, a 6-foot-7 wing from Atlanta, is the lone returner who played a significant role last season when the Giants went 13-1 to win the Central Valley Conference and 24-5 overall before losing in the second round of the Northern California Regionals.

Kelly averaged 7.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.9 blocks while making 22 starts.

"He played really well as a freshman last year and was a vital piece of what we were doing," Jensen said. "I think he expanded his game in the offseason. He has the ability to play more on the perimeter now, and has taken on more of a leadership role. Kind of a jack-of-all trades, Swiss Army knife type. I expect him to have a really productive year for us."

Kion Hayes, a 6-4 guard from Savannah, Ga., returns after sitting out last season with a knee injury. Hayes was a reserve on the Giants' state runner-up team in 2023-2024, averaging 2.9 points and 2.1 rebounds while playing in 25 games.

"He's just gotten better and better," Jensen said. "He's super steady. Great on-ball defender. Very good spot-up shooter. I'm really impressed with the strides he's taken over the last year."

The only other returner to have seen game action for Sequoias is Jamaal Phatty, a 6-8 wing from Frankfurt, Germany. Phatty played in six games and made one start last season -- averaging 2.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.0 blocks -- before he was forced to redshirt because of an injury. Phatty, who retains freshman eligibility, is expected to miss the early part of this season with an injury.

"He put on 15 pounds of muscle and had a really good summer in front of a lot of college coaches," Jensen said of a player who holds an NCAA Division I offer from Fairfield. "We expect him to have a really good year. He's long and athletic and can handle the ball. He's a really good passer at his size and excels in transition."

Helping to replace five players -- Jaden Haire, Davis White, Tyree Gill, Raydon Thorson and Jayson Mathews -- from last season's team who signed with four-year universities are six sophomore transfers, including five who redshirted at Sequoias.

Two of them -- Andre Stinson and Zaquien Whitehead -- are 6-10 centers. The Giants didn't have a player taller than 6-7 last season.

Stinson, who hails from Buffalo, N.Y., last played for New Mexico Junior College in 2023-2024, averaging 1.0 points and 1.1 rebounds in 12 games.

"Just big and physical, a really tough kid," Jensen said. "Rebounds at a really high level. Protects the rim and tries to dunk everything. I think he's a guy who translates well to the Division I level."

Whitehead (Columbus, Ga.) played at Wallace Community College in Selma, Ala., in 2023-2024, averaging 4.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.6 blocks while playing in 19 games.

"He's a big-time athlete. He can get out and run the floor. He plays well above the rim. Another guy that protects the rim on the defensive end. And has the ability to step out and guard on the perimeter on occasion. He is a high-energy guy, so when he's playing with a motor, that just makes our team that much better."

The Giants figure to have one of the best shooters in the state in 6-6 wing Q-Shawn On'gele (Portland, Ore.), who averaged 11.9 points and 5.4 rebounds while playing in 25 games for Lassen College in 2023-2024. On'gele holds a D-I offer from Louisiana-Monroe.

"He's made a lot of strides on the defensive end and the rebounding area of the game," Jensen said. "But the thing that Q does that is really unique and special is he has a Division I frame and he shoots the absolute lights out of the basketball. We expect him to have a really productive year."

Sequoias has a defensive stopper in Kareem Barnett (Miami), a 6-2 guard who transferred from Frank Phillips junior college in Texas. Barnett was in line to play a major role for the Giants in 2-024-2025 but suffered a shoulder injury that required surgery before the season began.

"He is maybe the best on-ball defender that I've ever coached," Jensen said. "He guards the best player 94 feet. Can really disrupt an offense. Phenomenal athlete. Great in transition and really good at attacking the rim and creating things."

Jayden Abuyen, a 6-2 guard from Bakersfield's Centennial High, is the most experienced of Sequoias' five transfer redshirts after averaging 12 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.0 steals while making 26 starts at CVC rival Reedley in 2023-2024.

"He's just an absolute pest on the defensive end and a really high IQ on the offensive end," Jensen said. "He has the ability to create for himself and his teammates. He can play on or off the ball. We think he's gotten better and better during his time here."

The Giants also welcome aboard a D-I transfer in 6-5 point guard Mason Dorsey (Los Angeles), who averaged 1.0 points and 1.2 rebounds while playing in 16 games at Bethune-Cookman in 2023-2024.

"He's got great size at the point guard position," Jensen said. "Really high IQ and a great feel for the game of basketball. Has the ability to really create for others and put his teammates in positions to be successful on the floor. Has a little burst where he can score it when he needs to. He can obviously play on both ends. I think his IQ is what separates him from a lot of players at this level. We feel like when he's right, it makes our team that much better."

The Giants roster is rounded out by three incoming freshmen: Rippen Gill (Centennial-Bakersfield), Javon Bragg (Corcoran) and Gabe Gutierrez (Bakersfield Christian.

Gill, a 6-7 wing, was a redshirt at Fresno State last season. He's battling a back injury and not expected to play until the latter part of November or early December.

"He's a kid with a great frame and can literally play any position on the floor," Jensen said. "He's a bigger guard. He can handle the ball. He attacks the rim, can guard multiple spots. A good rebounder. A phenomenal year man. Very recruitable."

Bragg, a 6-7 forward, was a force as a senior at Corcoran, averaging 28 points, 13.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.8 blocks while leading the Panthers to a 24-7 record and a semifinals appearance in the Central Section Division IV playoffs.

"We recruited him really heavily out of high school," Jensen said. "High upside. Has phenomenal footwork on the interior. He's an unassuming rim protector. You wouldn't know it looking at him, but he's got great timing around the rim to block shots and rebounds really well."

Gutierrez, a 5-11 point guard, decided to come to Sequoias after initially committing to D-II Concordia in Irvine. Gutierrez was the co-Most Valuable Player in the South Yosemite Valley League last season while leading the Eagles to a 25-8 record and a spot in the California Interscholastic Federation's Southern California Regional Division II semifinals.

"He's come in and competed from day one," Jensen said. "He brings the most energy and competitive fire to our practices on a daily basis. He makes the team go."

Assuming Phatty and Gill eventually return to action as expected, the Giants' will have depth exceeding last season, when they often had only nine healthy players.

"We wanted to have more depth than we had last year," Jensen said. "When we're healthy, this is a roster that I wholeheartedly believe all 12 guys can play and contribute for us."

Sequoias enters the season aiming for the program's sixth straight CVC title and a fifth Elite Eight appearance under Jensen.

The Giants will be battle tested during a 14-game pre-conference season that features nine games against opponents that made the state playoffs last season, including marquee matchups at Cosumnes River on Nov. 15, at San Jose on Dec. 12 and at home against Citrus on Jan. 2. Other state playoff participants on the nonconference schedule include Allan Hancock (Nov. 7), Cuesta (Nov. 8), Cerro Coso (Nov. 30), Siskiyous (Dec. 13) and Butte (Dec. 20). 

CVC play begins at home against Coalinga on Jan. 7. Key home games are set for Jan. 17 against Fresno City and Feb. 20 against Columbia. Both made the NorCal Regionals field last season.

"The group is really connected," Jensen said. "They get along well. They celebrate one another. The guys care about winning more than anything else on the floor. And they really poured into the fact that everyone on this team can contribute and make an impact. 

"As a coaching staff, we feel like at the end of the day, if we can get healthy and continue to make strides and continue to value winning above all else, we can compete with a lot of teams in the state of California, and hopefully put ourselves in position to get back to the Elite Eight this year."

If Sequoias does get back to the Elite Eight, it will play in the friendly confines of Porter Field House, which the CCAA selected as the site to host the state's men's and women's basketball championship tournaments for the next two seasons.

The women's tournament is scheduled for March 12 and 14-15, while the men play March 13-15.

Sequoias' men made five consecutive appearances in the Elite Eight between 2019 and 2024. 

The Giants have two state championships in program history, in 1953 and 1982.