Nov 11, 2021 5 min read

One person walking around campus at California University this week with a little more bounce in their step, a little more excitement in their voice and a little more energy at their job is Danny Sancomb.

That’s because Sancomb, the head men’s basketball coach, is preparing the Vulcans for a game this weekend. Two games in fact, less than 24 hours apart.

It has been a long time since a California basketball team has stepped on a court for a game in which the score has been kept and the result counted on the team’s record.

“It has been 620 days,” Sancomb said quickly.

If he was counting each one, you can’t blame Sancomb.

The pandemic wiped out the entire 2020-21 season for California. The last time the Vulcans played a game was March 4, 2020, a loss to Indiana in the PSAC tournament quarterfinals. It capped a 19-11 season.

“I handled not having a season about as well as I could. My passion for what I do – I love what I do – and not being able to do it, well, it stunk. We had virtual learning the first semester last year and the players weren’t back on campus until January. It was good to be able to get back in the gym and practice, but after about a month-and-a-half of that, you want to play somebody else.

“I’m so glad to see the kids excited, and what a great challenge it is to start the season against the 25th-ranked team in the country.”

California will open the season 5:30 p.m. today in the two-day MEC/PSAC Challenge at Charleston, W.Va. The Vulcans play the highly regarded host Golden Eagles then face Glenville State on Saturday at 2 p.m. The Vulcans’ first home game is Tuesday (5 p.m.) against Franklin Pierce.

The California women’s team also begins this weekend in the MEC/PSAC Challenge Mercyhurst. The Vulcans open against West Liberty on Saturday (7:30 p.m.) and play Charleston Sunday at 3 p.m.

Sancomb said it took the Vulcans some time to “knock the rust off” but three scrimmages have helped.

Cal returns its top two scorers from 2019-20, and its strength will be the backcourt, which features fifth-year senior guard Brent Pegram. One of the best players in the PSAC, Pegram averaged a team-leading 20.0 points per game two years ago and was the Vulcans’ leading scorer in 15 of 30 games. Pegram, who played for Sancomb when the latter was the coach at Wheeling four years ago, was Cal’s leader in assists and shot 38 percent from three-point range.

“He’s the leader of our program,” Sancomb said. “He’s set the standard high four our program. His work ethic – he’s one of the hardest-working players I’ve ever coached. And one thing about him is he gets better at something every year. He wasn’t a good shooter the first year at Wheeling, but he improved that area of his game. He’s improved his defense, improved his decision-making, improved his defense.”

Also back is 6-4 junior guard Zyan Collins, who averaged 14 points and five rebounds two years ago.

“He’s bigger and stronger,” Sancomb said. “Zyan has put on about 15 pounds. There is a physical difference with him.”

The Vulcans will be boosted by the addition of well-traveled senior guard Preston Boswell, who played at both Wheeling and West Liberty.

“He was the second-leading scorer for both of those teams,” Sancomb pointed out.

One area where Cal was lacking two years ago was its inside game as taller, bulkier teams gave the Vulcans problems. That seems to have been corrected as Cal has added a pair of 6-7 freshmen, Gabe Jimmerson and Keith Palek, and 6-6 freshman Bryson Lucas, to go with 6-6 returner Philip Austin, who has bulked up to 235 pounds. They should make Cal able to protect the rim.

“Two years ago, Austin was only 205 pounds and the added bulk, with his skillset, has made a big difference,” Sancomb said. “He was our leading scorer in all three scrimmages.”

The Vulcans are a bigger and deeper team than they were when last seen. They would be even more talented had it not been for some bad luck in January. That’s when returning starter Jermaine Hall Jr. (11.2 ppg and 7.3 rpg) and freshman Donald Whitehead, an all-state player out of Hickory High School in Hermitage, each suffered a torn Achilles tendon and will be out for the season.

“Never had a player with a torn Achilles tendon in my coaching career, then we have two in the same week,” Sancomb said.

In the PSAC West preseason poll, Cal was picked to finish fourth behind Indiana, Mercyhurst and Pitt-Johnstown. However, the Vulcans have enough talent to beat anybody on their schedule.

“We’re going to be hard to guard,” Sancomb says confidently. “We can put five capable shooters on the floor and we can be good defensively now that we have some shot blockers.”