Men's Basketball Season Preview: Coaching Changes, Schedules Announcements, & More!
October 19, 2023

Men's Basketball Season Preview: Coaching Changes, Schedules Announcements, & More!

SANTA MARIA, Calif. - The official start of the 2023-24 campaign for the men's basketball program at Allan Hancock College is right around the corner and the Bulldogs will look to build on last season's success with a revamped and rebuilt roster. 

SNAPSHOT

  • 2022-23 record: 18-11 (8-4 WSC North, 3rd)
  • Starters returning/lost: 1/4
  • Participants returning/lost: 1/10 
  • Notable losses: 
    • Quincy Bentley (39.8% 3PT, 80 Made 3PT, First Team All-Conference)
    • Vondre Chase (11.2 PPG, 80.6% FT, two-time All-Conference honoree)
    • Kevin Kogbara (5.5 RPG, 15 BLK, First Team All-Conference)
    • Onias Outlaw (9.9 PPG, 2.5 APG, All-Conference Honorable mention)

THE COACHES

Tyson Aye will enter his 11th overall season at the helm of the program this season. During his time with the Bulldogs, Aye has led the program to four postseason appearances and one conference title while working towards an overall record of 162-107. 

Amaurys Fermin returns to the Bulldogs sideline for the 2023-24 season as the Associate Head Coach. Fermin spent the last two seasons at the helm of the Porterville College men's basketball program, where he led the Pirates to two consecutive playoff appearances while accumulating an overall record of 37-21 during his tenure. Prior to taking over at Porterville, Fermin served as the lead assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Hancock for five seasons (2015-21).

Connor Dodd, a third-year assistant coach on the men's side and first on the women's, has been elevated to the recruiting coordination position within the program. 

Sylvester Espinoza (2nd season) and long-time coach Kurt Dykema (7th season) will also serve the program again this season as assistant coaches.

KEY RETURNERS

Taevon Pierre-Louis is the lone returner for the Bulldogs who participated during last year's campaign. The Ohio native was a First Team All-Conference and an All-State Honorable Mention selection after a breakout season in the college ranks. Pierre-Louis started in all 29 of his appearances this season and led the Bulldogs with 16.0 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. He registered six 20+ point showings en route to 17 double-doubles and one triple-double on the season. The freshman forward ended the season by being ranked in a number of statistical categories at the state level, primarily in the rebounding columns. Some of the top-ranked categories for him included defensive rebounds (223/6th), total rebounds (323/8th), and rebounds per game (11.1/9th).

Noah Haaland, a participant on the 2021-22 team and a redshirt last season, also returns to the program. As a freshman, Haaland averaged 7.1 points and 4.4 rebounds per game while earning 25 starts through 27 appearances. 

NOTABLE NEWCOMERS

Assad Madassalia, a transfer from Porterville College, was named to the Central Valley Conference All-Freshman Team last season after averaging 6.6 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.

Jaden Pena and Mylo Santos also joined the Bulldogs after transferring from Porterville. Pena finished with a mark of 5.1 points and 4.4 rebounds per game while Santos averaged 6.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game. 

Jahki Parrinello was a redshirt last season at St. Francis College (Brooklyn) before the Terriers disbanded the athletic department. The program was a Division I member of the NCAA and competed in the Northeast Conference. 

THE SCHEDULE

The upcoming schedule features action against 16 non-conference opponents and 12 Western State Conference (WSC) foes. Hancock's schedule features a number of highly competitive matchups, including four teams that were ranked in the final edition of the CCCMBA Coaches' Top 30 Poll at the conclusion of the 2022-23 season.

The Bulldogs are set to host two tournaments at home this season, beginning with the Home Motors Tournament on Nov. 17-19. The AHC Holiday Classic, which dates back to 1955, will take place on Dec. 29-30.

Conference action is slated to begin after the holiday break with a road test at Oxnard on January 13th and will come to a close on February 23rd on the road against Ventura. The program will be holding a number of special events throughout the season such as Hometown Heroes (1/31), Coaches vs Cancer (2/7), and Sophomore Night (2/21). 

Basketball season pass packages, which are offered in three different tiers and grant access to all men's and women's home basketball events during the regular season, are now available for purchase at ahcbulldogs.com/ticketing. Single-game tickets will also be available for purchase prior to the start of the season. As a reminder, cash will not be accepted at the ticketing gate or the concession stand. Fans who are not purchasing a season pass are strongly encouraged to purchase single-game tickets prior to arrival, but will also have the opportunity to pay for a ticket on-site with a credit or debit card at the gate.