n BY MARC DAVID SPORTS EDITOR
Gilroy – Tito Addison has a challenge but he feels he has the players to be successful.
Gavilan College opens its men’s basketball season at 7pm today at Skyline College in San Bruno with a roster of 17 players, only four of them sophomores. Addison admits he isn’t sure what to expect.
“I’m anxious to get started,” Addison, 32, said. “We have several guys who haven’t played in one or two years and some will get their first taste of action (tonight). I know we will be very competitive but we are a young team.”
Addison believes that “10 or 11 guys are capable of moving on to the next level,” and yet acknowledges that “on this level you deal with young men, all of who have aspirations of moving on.”
This is Addison’s first stint coaching men. He was at his alma mater, San Jose State, last year as an assistant women’s basketball coach. Prior to that, he re-started the program at Mission College in Santa Clara and the team advanced to the playoffs in his second full season. He also coached at Notre Dame de Namur and Prospect High.
There appears to be enough talent for the Rams to better last year’s mark of 7-23 overall, 3-9 in Coast Conference. And yet Addison offers no predictions and refuses to pigeon-hole his team to one specific style of play.
“We will adjust to whatever team we’re dealing with,” said Addison, who was on one of two SJSU teams to advance to the NCAA Tournament. “We will do some fullcourt pressure but not always. We will play fastbreak and slowdown. This team has a lot of interchangeable parts.”
It also has two players who have already been offered Division 1 scholarships, according to Addison who didn’t want to mention them by name.
Four of the five starters tonight will be freshmen, led by 7-0 center Eric Van Vliet. Kenny Hills will be at forward with Jessie LoBue and Daniel Wynn on the wings. The lone sophomore starter is Django Evans at point guard.
Van Vliet suffered a knee injury last year while at the University of Montana and was granted a medical hardship so he has four years of college eligibility. Van Vliet, LoBue and Julius Freeman were members of the 2004-05 Santa Cruz High state championship team.
Other players who will initially see plenty of action, according to Addison, are wing players Ben Chambliss and Micah Jones, point guard Nick McLaurin and center Blair Wortham from Gilroy. In addition to the trio of Santa Cruz players, three former Seaside players (Chambliss, McLaurin and Luke Murrel) are on the roster. Seaside is Addison’s alma mater. The Spartans advanced to the Division III state championship game his senior year.
Addison will be assisted by former California-Berkeley standout Al Grigsby.
Gavilan Roster
Ryan Blake, 6-0 soph.; Justin Cayabyab, 6-2 soph.; Ben Chambliss, 6-2 frosh.; Django Evans, 6-1 soph.; Julius Freeman, 5-10 frosh.; Oye Hassan, 6-5 frosh.; Ryan Hayes, 5-8 frosh.; Kenny Hills, 6-7 frosh.; Micah Jones, 6-3 frosh.; Jessie LoBue, 6-7 frosh.; Nick McLaurin, 6-2 frosh.; Luke Murrel, 6-1 frosh.; Chris Patrick, 5-10 soph,; Asa Saito, 6-1 frosh.; Eric Van Vliet, 7-0 frosh.; Blair Wortham, 6-6 frosh.; Daniel Wynn, 6-4 frosh.
Gavilan schedule
November
7, Skyline at San Bruno, 7pm; 9-11, Las Positas College Tournament at Livermore; 16, West Hills College, 6pm; 21, at Merced College, 7pm; 24-26, at Napa Tournament; 29-30, MPC Tournament at Monterey.
December
1-2, MPC Tournament at Monterey; 15-17, Chabot Tournament at Hayward; 21, San Francisco City College, 7pm; 23, Foothill College, noon; 29, Las Positas, 7pm.
January
3, at San Jose City College, 7pm; 5, Hartnell, 7pm; 10, Monterey Peninsula College, 7pm; 13, Cabrillo at Aptos, 7pm; 19, West Valley College, 7pm; 24-De Anza College at Cupertino, 7pm; 26, San Jose City College, 7pm; 31, at Hartnell, 7pm.
February
2, at Monterey Peninsula College, 7pm; 7, Cabrillo, 7pm; 14, West Valley at Saratoga, 7pm; 16, De Anza, 7pm.
Bold face denotes home game.
