SMC Men's Basketball Preseason Preview
On Friday Oct. 16, SMC played its first preseason scrimmage at home against Los Angeles Harbor College where they lost 56-65. The Corsairs showed intensity on defense, forcing multiple turnovers and deflections, but struggled to find consistent offensive success. Center Micah Blackman led the team in scoring, while wing Jaylen Brown went 2-for-2 from 3-point range and recorded two dunks.
The Corsairs had already played four preseason games at Cerritos College during the Juco Jamboree, finishing the tournament 1-3. “We could’ve won the majority of our games if we made free throws,” Coach Malik Bray said, noting that the Corsairs frequently got to the free throw line but came up short, missing opportunities to score.
This year’s roster features several new faces. Before the game began, Coach Bray said the main difference between this year’s team and last year’s team is depth. “We got a lot more people and more bodies this year, and camaraderie will be much better this year,” he said.
For coach Bray, the main focus of the scrimmage was to apply heavy pressure on the ball. The first half started with the Corsairs forcing two turnovers, one through rotations in their man-to-man defense and another through their full-court press.
The team showed length and athleticism, allowing players to pressure ball handlers and frequently double-team them before rotating to cover open players.
Offensively, Blackman dominated in the paint, but many of the team’s points came off turnovers and fast breaks. After both made and missed shots, the Corsairs quickly moved the ball upcourt to try to score before LA Harbor’s defense could get set.
L.A. Harbor kept sending Blackman to the free throw line, where he struggled to convert his attempts, shooting below 50% in the game. His presence in the paint stood out in the first half, as he finished through contact, grabbed multiple rebounds and recorded a block.
Bray rotated players in groups of five to evaluate different lineups and see which worked best. “Mainly to see who gels with who,” Bray said of the substitutions.
The second half began with the Corsairs trailing by five, but the deficit quickly grew as they scored only three points in the first 10 minutes. The Corsairs eventually went on a run, cutting an 18-point deficit to 10 with two minutes remaining on the clock.
LA Harbor maintained its lead through the remainder of the scrimmage, winning 56-65. After the final buzzer, both teams practiced late-game scenarios in which they trailed by one point with 40 seconds left.
“Defense was okay, offensively we need to pass and move the ball more,” Bray said, “More pick-n-rolls with Micah as he was dominating down low.”
The Corsairs are scheduled to play their next preseason game at Moorpark College on Thursday Oct. 22.