It's been a busy week for SPSCC Men's Basketball as the defending NWAC West Region champions signed two standouts from California. Tommy Faustka (Castro Valley, CA) and Cacoa Chatman (Long Beach, CA) have signed athletic scholarships for the 2018-19 school year. Clippers Head Coach Aaron Landon was pleased by the additions. "Both players fill a specific need we had going into the summer, and I feel like we added two tough players that will fit in well with what we have coming back," said Coach Landon.
Tommy Faustka, a 6'6" forward, will join SPSCC as a transfer from Merritt College (CA). Prior to Merritt, Faustka was a standout at Castro Valley High School where he was named Co-MVP and First Team All - West Alameda Conference. "Tommy had a good freshman year and we think he can be special for us this season as a sophomore," said Coach Landon. "We're expecting him to have an immediate impact as a transfer, and he's very versatile so we can use him in a lot of different ways."
Cacoa Chatman, a 5'9" point guard, will join SPSCC as a freshman after graduating from St Anthony High School in Long Beach (CA). Coach Landon credited assistant Tyler Velasquez for his work on the recruitment of Chatman. "Coach Velasquez spent a lot of time on this," shared Landon. "He was a great point guard in college and knows what a winner looks like." Chatman is no stranger to winning; he was the leader of a St Anthony squad that went 28-4 in this season, including a perfect 10-0 league mark. Chatman was named First Team All-CIF and Second Team All-State for Division 3 in California. Coach Velasquez said of Chatman,"Coa understands how to run a team, he has had success in both high school and AAU. He will bring some toughness and leadership to our team and fit right in with our culture."
Both additions will be welcomed by a strong SPSCC group that returns three starters from last year's 23-8 NWAC Elite 8 team. Several players have stayed in Olympia through the summer to prepare for the 2018-19 season. "We have a good group here, everybody is excited to add these new guys to the mix and get to work. The summer has been great, but all of us are ready for the season to get here," said Coach Landon.