Moraine Valley men's basketball shows big turnaround in 2015, includes conference championship

What a difference a year makes. In 2014 the Moraine Valley Community College men’s basketball team had a losing record after a rebuilding season. This year they finished in the NJCAA Region IV semi-finals after being crowned the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference champions. They plan to continue the upward trajectory.

When head Coach David Howard took over the Cyclone squad for the 2013-14 season, he wanted to maintain its tradition of athletic excellence. Going 8-22 overall and 4-10 in conference was disappointing, but he plowed ahead. Recruiting and getting his team to gel supplemented a successful 2014-15 season that saw the Cyclones go 17-14 overall and 11-3 in conference, good enough for an outright championship not done by any Skyway team since 2011. Moraine Valley last held the title with Morton College in 2013. After they clinched the crown, Howard was named Skyway Coach of the Year, although humbly acknowledges the great help from assistants James Daniels and Brandon Allen. Niko Cahue (Sandburg) and Brian Townsend (Evergreen Park) were named to the All-Conference first team while Deland “DJ” Deere (Thornton Fractional North) and Ermias Nega (Wakefield) took All-Conference second team.

“We could’ve had a 20-win season, but I can’t complain one bit. The turnaround from last season to this one is amazing. It’s a testament to these guys. They sacrificed for the betterment of the team. They gelled and believed in each other, picked each other up, never stopped believing,” Howard said.

Before the Cyclones even reached their conference matchups, which began Jan. 13, they held a 4-10 record. They easily could have given up when battle tested but stuck to the plan. Some losses, however, were due to players getting caught up in the moment and deviating from cohesive team-play, like in their semi-final loss on March 1.

“Some of those early games we had a shot at winning. But overall we had a really good season. It’s always nice to say you earned a conference championship outright. It’s a huge accomplishment for these guys,” Howard said. “We had a lot of ups and downs, but the good outweighed the bad. This program is headed in the right direction.”

The Cyclones will lose a few starters due to their sophomore status or transfer to four-year schools. Cahue signed on scholarship to continue his education and play ball at Saint Xavier University this fall. Townsend is looking at Oklahoma Panhandle State University. The duo were walking double-doubles for the Cyclones this season—Townsend with 13 and Cahue with nine—so their presence will be missed. Paulius Ostruskevicius (Lemont) was asked to do a lot this season; it didn’t matter if he started or was the sixth man, he still worked hard and always responded with a positive attitude. Randall Rushing (Richards) played one season for the Cyclones a couple years ago and worked hard to become a starter.

As for the returners, Howard said he’ll look to his star freshman, Nega, as well as Deere, Calviontae Washington (Eisenhower) and Jason Roland (Oak Forest) to set the tone. “It’s a good group returning. They know my expectations,” he added.