M. Basketball: Team sweeps division awards

File Photo: Demetrius Thomas was voted the division's Player of the Year
File Photo: Demetrius Thomas was voted the division's Player of the Year

After winning the South Coast Conference South Division title, the Cerritos College men's basketball team swept the post-season awards. Sophomore guard/forward Demetrius Thomas (Bassick, CT HS/Porterville College) was named the divison's Player of the Year, while Russ May was voted the division's Coach of the Year, which marks the second time in the last three seasons May has been honored with the award. Additionally, three players were selected to the All-Conference Team, while another garnered Honorable Mention recognition.

Thomas leads the team with a 16.8 scoring average, which increased to 19.2 points a game in divisional play. He also paces the team with 8.4 rebounds a game, while converting 58% of his field goals and 74% of his free throws. Also a threat from long rage, he's fourth on the team with 27 three-pointers made and also leads the team in steals (52) and blocked shots (34). Thomas scored over 20 points in six of the 10 divisional games, including 26 points against El Camino College and 24 points in two other contests.

Joining him on the all-conference team were sophomores Keshaun Mack (Long Beach Jordan HS/Antelope Valley College), Jonathan Guzman (Paramount HS) and Jason Carter (View Park HS/Santa Monica College), while sophomore Riley Hamilton (Rancho Verde HS) was an honorable mention selection. Mack is second on the team with a 12.6 scoring average, while he increased it a bit to 12.9 in divisional play, while also averaging 4.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists a game. One of multiple three-point threats, Mack is third on the team with 37 three-pointers and is accurate on 40% of those attempts. He scored a season-high 26 points on 12-of-15 shooting against El Camino College and missed one game due to an injury. Guzman had the largest scoring increase once divisional play started, averaging 11.3 points in the nine games he played, while his season average is just under nine points a game (8.9). Currently ranking fourth in the state, Guzman has converted 64.4% of his shots, he matched that success in divisional play, while he averaged 6.9 rebounds a game. Guzman scored a career-high 20 points in the regular season finale against Long Beach City, while he pulled down a career-high 18 rebounds in the first meeting against the Vikings.

As for Carter, he averaged 8.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and shot 74% from the free throw line in divisional play. He scored in double figures in five of the games, which included a double-double in the opener against El Camino. Hamilton had a breakout game against Compton College with 22 points and also accounted for 17 points against Los Angeles Harbor. He averaged 9.4 points and 3.3 rebounds in divisional play, while converting 77% of his free throws, while he's good on 84% from the charity stripe for the entire season.