Cougar basketball begins conference play
As the Golden Valley Conference nears its start, and preseason draws to a close the league appears to be wide open.
The Cougars currently lead the conference in victories as they finished the preseason with a 9-7 record.
Rival Feather River College joins the Cougars as the only other conference team with a winning record of 8-5. Despite being under .500, Butte College has a young team this year that plays hard, is well coached and will no doubt be in the mix for the league championship.
College of the Sisikyous at 3-14, Shasta College at 2-13 and College of the Redwoods at 0-15 round out the rest of the conference.
“Our conference is very unique because of the veteran coaches who make up the league mixed with the travel. We have legitimate road trips and there is no such thing as an easy GVC road victory,” said Coach Will Freedman.
“FRC is fast and athletic this year, Butte is always tough, Siskiyous is much better this year, Shasta may not have the prettiest of records but they are still the defending conference champs and Redwoods is a young team primed to sneak up on someone.”
Some Cougars to watch as conference begins are sophomores Tarren Storey-way, Theo Howard II and Drew Rippingham Storey-way is the Cougars’ leading scorer averaging 19.5 points per game. He has scored 20 or more points in seven games including two 30 point games.
Howard is also putting up some impressive numbers as he is averaging 15.6 points per game while scoring 20 or more points in five games including a 30-point game and a 40-point game.
Rippingham is one of the best shooters in the state and has shown off his skill throughout the season. He is currently averaging 11.8 points per game and had one game where he made six three pointers and another where he made seven.
With this fast and talented group, the Cougars looked primed and ready to make a run for the conference championship.
They have had an impressive season so far filled with exciting plays and some impressive wins, but will they have enough to wear the crown at the end of conference play?
