The Fullerton College men’s basketball program stole the show once again in back-to-back years, grabbing nine total OEC Awards throughout the weekend of Feb. 23-25. The squad finished with an overall record of 24-4 (15-1) and have won 17 of their last 18 games.
Starting with the man at the helm, Fullerton head coach Perry Webster was awarded the OEC Coach of the Year. The two-time state champion at Fullerton College has been given the award for the fifth time in eight seasons. Webster claimed another accolade this season when he grabbed his 200th career win against IVC on Feb. 13, 2024.
“Every season we set out to win a league championship. Each season is different. This one was special in a lot of ways,” said Webster via text message with The Hornet. “This was truly a team effort. I am lucky to have the best assistant coaches in the state that help make me look good everyday.”
The OEC MVP honors were awarded to freshman guard Christian Watson by way of Long Beach Poly High School. The flashy guard averaged 11.2 points, 3.4 assists, 5.9 rebounds, and shot 55.4% from the field. He was the floor general that perfectly played the part for the Hornets. He also held it down defensively, averaging 2.1 steals and 1.1 blocks a game.
Defense takes heart and passion, which is a phrase sophomore guard Amound Anderson II took and ran with. Anderson, who last played at Southern Utah by way of Leuzinger High School, took home OEC Defensive Player of the Year. The guard was known for being the man who guarded the opposing team’s best player each night.
Aside from players of the year, two staples in the program took home the coveted first team All-OEC. Those awards were given to sophomore guards Jeremiah Davis and RJ Banks.
Davis, who arrived from Fountain Valley High School, averaged 13.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.4 steals a game. The known leader of the team adds another award to his resume in his storied Fullerton College career.
Banks worked his way to the Hornets from Cathedral High School, where he averaged 6.9 points, 2.4 assists, 2.4 rebounds. After starting the year with a torn ACL, Banks came back strong and proved his worth to the team during OEC play.
Grabbing a second team All-OEC honor was the big man down low, freshman JQ Strong, who was previously with UC Davis and Villa Park High School prior to coming to Fullerton. The big averaged 7.7 points, and 3.0 rebounds a game, while shooting 56.5% from the field. He was an offensive spark for the Hornets and provided size for the team.
Another second team All-OEC honoree was sophomore guard Godfrey Little. The three-year Hornet and product of local powerhouse Roosevelt High School was a sharpshooter off the bench for Fullerton. He shot 35.5% from three-point land while averaging 7.9 points per game during conference play.
Rounding off the final awards for the Hornets were a duo of Hornets who played key roles for the team off the bench, guards Jaden Byers and Alex Archer. They took home honorable mention All-OEC awards.
The Hornets head into the CCCAA State Playoffs as the No. 1 overall seed for the third straight year. This is their fifth SoCal No. 1 overall seed in the last eight years. Prior to Webster’s tenure, the last time the Hornets earned the first seed was under former head coach Dieter Horton, which was in 2006.
With that one seed, the Hornets earned a first round bye, meaning they will play Saturday, March 2 at 7 p.m. at the Hornets Nest against the winner of MiraCosta (19-9) and Cerritos (19-9).
