When Erik Nelson was hired to coach the Gavilan College women’s basketball team prior to the 2012-13 season, he knew he faced a monumental task.
After all, the Rams were bringing back a program that had been shelved for six or seven years, and, to make things even more challenging — as if things weren’t daunting enough — Nelson had missed the prime recruiting period for high school basketball because he was hired in June.
The results were predictable: A nine-player roster that was whittled down to six by season’s end, and a 1-24 record.
“We had our bumps and bruises,” said Nelson, a former Gilroy High and Gavilan standout. “But at the same time I felt the girls got better as the year went on, and that would serve us well going forward. When I took this job, I knew it was going to take a while to establish our own identity as a program.
“But I can’t tell you how excited I am to be able to build a program from scratch. That’s why I’m here, and I feel like it’s my dream job in a sense that I get to coach a program I truly care about, and it means a lot to me.”
Although Gavilan has yet to taste victory this season — it was 0-2 entering Wednesday’s home game against Skyline College of San Bruno — Nelson feels the program is headed in the right direction.
With a chance to finally introduce himself to high school coaches and players in the offseason, Nelson was finally able to lay the foundation for a recruiting pipeline not only locally but in parts of the Monterey and Modesto area as well.
Nelson’s hard work paid off in the form of landing a potential star in freshman Kelsey Caudill, who scored 19 points in a season-opening loss to the College of San Mateo on Nov. 16. A 5-foot-9 post, Caudill prepped at Oakmont High-Sacramento.
Nelson said Caudill is a big-time talent who can shoot, rebound and create off the dribble, which will give open looks for shooters like Tawne Haynish (San Benito), Natalia Armstrong (Modesto) and Breanna Hernandez (Valley Christian-San Jose).
“Kelsey came in right away with the physical and mental intensity to compete at the college level,” Nelson said.
In addition to Caudill, Gavilan’s frontcourt consists of Divena Flores (Gilroy) and Andreinna Castaneda (Modesto), who averaged eight points and eight rebounds per game last season. The Rams have an excellent pass-first point guard in Felica Lee-Cardenas (Modesto), who has the ability to put her teammates in great scoring situations.
Other players who will be counted upon to make an impact include guard-forward Kelsey Russell (San Benito), guard-forward Jessica Moore (Live Oak) and guard Bella White (Monterey).
Russell and White are excellent perimeter defenders, and Moore is the first of many players Nelson hopes to get from local schools like Live Oak. If all goes well, Nelson plans on scooping up the South Valley’s best talent on a yearly basis.
Nelson said the immediate goal of the team is to establish an up-tempo, pressing style of play that will attract local players, and transfer multiple players every year to four-year programs.
“If we focus on the process and all that it takes to improve, the winning will take care of itself,” Nelson said. “I like the team we have, and they’re going to improve as the season goes on. It’s going to take some time to establish a culture, and I’m grateful to have an opportunity to make this a model program. We just have to stay patient and build it slowly.”
One block at a time.
