March 23, 2010
Mustangs Murray-powered
Not many people know that Los Medanos College is Spanish-named after the dunes found in the area. More than likely, even fewer are aware that Coach Derek Domenichelli’s mens basketball program is not only a perennial factor in the Bay Valley Conference but has also achieved the dual accomplishments of being a state playoff participant in eight of the last nine years due to 20 wins or more annually in that same time frame. It was more of the same eminence in this recently concluded season -- a 14-2 league record and a 21-8 overall slate. Two big reasons for this prosperity: Tyree Murray and a roster of Bay Area talent.
Murray plays big
The 6-foot Murray is a Deer Valley High (Antioch) graduate who received minimal basketball acclaim as a prepster. But Domenichelli saw something and, in partnership with Murray, made it happen -- that being the transformation into a talent who now has multiple mid and low major suitors at the D-1 level and is just beginning his visits. He is being looked at as a combo guard at the next level.
"Tyree averaged 12 points a game in high school," Domenichelli explained, "We were aware of him since his sophomore year but didn’t think he would be as good as he is now." Try all state honors two years running as a Los Medanos Mustang and a 19 points per game scoring average with 87 three-pointers made this season. He notched 92 treys as a freshman.
How did Murray morph into a sought-after recruit?
According to Domenichelli, "Tyree just did a great job in the gym. He’s very mature and has a great feel for the game and he would work on drills before and after practice and do his weightlifting. We take that serious."
The Los Medanos stranglehold on producing league most valuable players -- Ben Guillory in 2007-2008 and Murray in 2008-2009 -- ended this season even though Murray still earned a First Team All Bay Valley nod.
Then there is teammate Joe Simpson, out of Pittsburgh High School. The 6-foot-4 wing earned all-conference honors as both a freshman and sophomore. "D-2 and NAIA colleges are interested in him," Domenichelli said. Simpson averaged 14 points per game this season.
Murray and Simpson are the only two sophomores on the Los Medanos squad, one populated strictly with locals. The high schools of the remaining players on the Mustang roster: Skyline, Oakland Tech, Las Lomas, Castlemont and Fremont.
Here’s the philosophy behind that particular demographic of Domenichelli’s squad: "We are a California community college so we feel that our roster should consist of players from our state. Our staff believes we should try and help our student/athletes in California to further their academic and athletic careers."
‘Go local’ is an increasingly heard admonition nowadays -- Domenichelli has been there, done that and sees no reason to change.