Skyline College’s men’s basketball team will kick off its 2012-2013 season on Nov. 10 when they take on the Reedley College Tigers.
Justin Piergrossi is entering his ninth season as the head coach of the team at Skyline. Since the day he arrived, the Trojans have focused on recruiting and developing local players to fill up spots on the team’s roster.
Piergrossi guided the Trojans in the 2009 to 2010 year to the State Scholar Team Award, a special award for the team to have received. These accomplishments are the cornerstone of the Men’s Basketball program at Skyline.
Piergrossi started his career at Skyline after serving his five seasons as an assistant coach at the University of San Francisco. On the hilltop he coached 13 players who went on to play professionally in other leagues. This upcoming season shows promising chances for a championship, implied coach Piergrossi.
Former players Anthony Smith and Kyle Wong received scholarships to attend numerous universities. Smith received the 2012 Phillip & Ellis Garlington Scholarship and Wong received a basketball scholarship from Cal Baptist University. Smith decided to attend Howard University with a full ride to the school.
Piergrossi says that the Trojans “fight ‘til the end” mentality has a high chance of repeating itself this season with the talent that comes along with the new players.
“We did a more than exceptional job last season, but overall had a lot to work on,” said Eddy Harris, assistant coach of the team. “The new team shows an outstanding amount of potential.”
Coach Piergrossi also says that these preseason games are an excellent opportunity for new players to play in some games and get the gist of competing, and they benefit the coaches as well. It is helpful for the coaches to see how new players react in real-game situations. The realistic games that they’re put in allows the coach (and other recruiters at showcases) to see what areas the players have to work on as a team, which is something that can’t be determined as accurately in the scrimmages during practice.
The coaches, and players, are looking forward to a fulfilling and rewarding season.