Robbie Skinner and R.J. Collins knew what they were getting into.
Standouts at San Benito High last year, the two followed former Haybalers coach David Kaplansky to Gavilan College, which went 1-22 a year ago and hasn’t won a conference game in two years.
To say the Rams are a rebuilding project would be putting it mildly. Gavilan doesn’t have much of a basketball tradition, and past coaches have found out the hard way that it’s tough recruiting top-notch high school players to the Gilroy campus.
However, all signs point to Kaplansky building a solid program for years to come. Even though the Rams were just 1-10 entering Tuesday’s game against Ohlone of Fremont—the result was not available when this edition went to press—they’ve led at halftime in seven of the 11 contests.
“It’s been hard to sustain a lead after halftime because we don’t have the depth other teams have,” Kaplansky said. “It’s been a challenging season, but our guys are doing a good job right now.”
Gavilan’s season got even more difficult after its starting point guard, Nick Bradley, went down with a season-ending ACL injury in the fifth game of the season.
“That just added salt to the wound,” Kaplansky said. “But to see our guys bounce back has been a big bright spot.”
Skinner, a 6-foot-3, 170-pound forward, and Collins, a 5-11, 155-pound guard, are the team’s top two scorers, averaging around 13 points per game. Both players made strides during the off-season, working hard to improve their games.
Skinner has become more aggressive, often watching video with his dad after every game to assess his performance. He spent countless hours honing his craft in the off-season, and he’s continually improving.
Collins focused on a couple of areas in the off-season, particularly his shooting. During the summer, Collins’ typical schedule had him working basketball camps for eight hours before heading to Gavilan for more training.
Kaplansky said Collins and Skinner have impacted the team in a variety of positive ways.
“R.J. is definitely our most active player as far as deflections and steals, and he’s really led us with his energy,” Kaplansky said. “Robbie has probably been our most consistent player when it comes to offense and defense. He’s done a great job around the basket guarding guys stronger and bigger than him and owning up to the challenge each night.”
Kaplansky added that both players have done a nice job of relaying his message to all of the players.
“I just try to add on to what coach Kap says to us,” Collins said. “If anyone doesn’t understand what he says or if they’re confused, I try to help them understand coach. I know this is the first time the players have had coach Kap, and he’s a little different from most coaches in that he has a lot more energy.”
Collins and Skinner have done well adjusting to the much more competitive junior college game, where some state-ranked teams have multiple players who will transfer to Division I programs.
To offset the opponents’ superior talent, Kaplansky has the team using a matchup zone instead of a man-to-man defense to help slow the game down. The Rams’ 62-59 win over Reedley on Dec. 12 has been the highlight of the team’s season.
Collins scored a game-high 16 points and Skinner had 15 in the victory.
“Winning isn’t everything at this point, but it was nice getting that one,” Skinner said. “We’re trying to make Gavilan a winning program, and even though we’re not winning, I’m still going to have fun as long as we’re competitive.”
Added Collins: “The Reedley game gave us a taste of what winning was like so hopefully we can get a couple more of those this season.”
Although Collins and Skinner know they’re part of a rebuilding project, they’re excited for the future. Their immediate goal is to win a conference game, something the program hasn’t done in two years.
However, the Rams have a decent chance of pulling out a victory in the Coast Conference South Division, which is down this season. Other than state-ranked San Jose City, no team in the division has a winning record.
“We just want to play with a hustle and dedication that will make other people notice,” Skinner said. “We want to change the way people look at Gavilan basketball.”
