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The men’s basketball team at Pasadena City College now have an overall record of 22-8. This is a stark contrast to last year’s record which was a wretched 1-26. What was the reason for this turnaround and why was it so successful?  

First-year head coach Ryan Frazer spoke about the team’s success and what were the strategies made to achieve their success. 

“Everything that we do has a purpose behind it, we take every opponent very seriously and we dive into what it is that makes them successful and then try to take away that and then we look at what makes us successful then try to make sure we’re focusing on that,” Frazer said. 

Frazer spoke about coming into the college as a first-year coach, the importance of building relationships with players and trying to think about something other than last year’s performance. 

“We have high expectations and we want to win but weren’t here to diminish anything that was done last year, the year before us, we just wanted to come in and work collaboratively and implement our system to Pasadena City College.” Frazer said.

Frazer discussed the importance of reviewing tapes and going over each opponent’s game plan and applying that information during practice plans.

“We’re able to watch the team play past games, so as we prepare for those games, we’re looking at what is that their players do, habits that the coach has, what are their favorite plays,” Frazer said. “We’re analyzing all that and coming up with ways to counteract that so we can become successful.” 

In an email, Robert Lewis, the sports information specialist at PCC, wrote about how Frazer’s success was remarkable compared to other years at PCC.

“The very fact we were competing for a share of the SCC title only a year after we finished 1-26 shows just how far the new coach has taken the program. To reach the second round of regionals is a major achievement for a PCC team in any sport,” Lewis said.

Coach Frazer was the head coach of the Men’s basketball team at MiraCosta College in Oceanside, California, and took last year’s team to the playoffs. Lewis stated that Coach Frazer’s experience in coaching a successful team and leading them into the playoffs contributed to the PCC basketball team’s turnaround this year.

“Frazer came from a MiraCosta College program that went all the way to the state tournament last season, so he knows what it takes to direct a team to go far in the postseason.”  Lewis said.

Assistant coach Harrison Haynes worked with Coach Frazer at Miracosta College and spoke about what makes Frazer a different type of coach and how that contributes to the success of the team. 

“He adapts to each that we have every year and different offensive systems or defensive principles that fit the team so they can be as successful as possible,” Haynes said. “He’s not stuck in his set of ways where it’s his way or the highway.” 

Players who were a part of last year’s 1-26 team reflected on their time during that difficult period and began to admire Coach Frazer’s insistence on being better this year.

Jordan Flowers is a second-year shooting guard for the basketball program and talked about his experience last year and how the attitude was with the players.

“People didn’t really care last year, to be honest, a lot of things going on, and we really didn’t have a coach, we had an interim so people didn’t really like care,” Flowers said. 

 Caleb Gerber, a shooting guard playing his second year for the Men’s basketball team, remembers last year and recalls what was different. 

“Respectfully, it’s just a way better coaching staff this year, I mean better players come with that,” Gerber said while also believing that details and a lack of accountability also hindered last year’s team from being successful.

Coach Michael Swanegan was the head coach for Pasadena City College for 13 seasons. Swanegan was supposed to coach the 2021-22 season but ultimately retired before the season began, therefore leaving the responsibility to interim coach Hosie Ward who did not last long on in the program.  

Flowers recalled the first meeting with Coach Frazer and noticed the different environment and mentality surrounding him. The coach had high expectations regardless of last year’s record and he wanted to establish a serious work ethic in order to win. 

“He set the expectation real high in the beginning of the season before it really happened,” Flowers said. “We just stick the way he talked about and we just stayed the course.” 

Gerber mentioned the changes in the coaching staff last year also hurt the team’s season. Gerber went on to explain coach Frazer’s policy and guidance on how to become a successful basketball player.

“Everything was just kind of calculated, like he came with a plan every day, pretty much it was just competitive every day because it was just working for a spot and they came off a good season last year, so honestly he brought a good culture,” Gerber said.  

Assistant coach Haynes talked about the strategy offensively and how giving the players the freedom to take risks and giving them confidence has worked out thus far. 

“I think it’s just a system of building confidence in our players, really giving them the trust and the faith that we believe in them and what they do in their offensive abilities,” Haynes said.  

Coach Frazer recalled his time at Miracosta college and believes that the experience of going deep into playoffs will be fun for the players. 

“Being a team that got there last year at Miracosta, I just know how fun it is and how special it is for the players and school,” Frazer said. “So, that’s the goal we’re focused on one game at a time.” 

The next playoff game is on Saturday, March 4, against San Bernardino Valley College at San Bernardino. Coach Frazer said he continues to take each team seriously with each game at a time.

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