Fresno City’s basketball team gets a video black eye

The Fresno City College Rams, already lightning rods in California for their success and hyper-aggressive style, became a marked team this week.

Not that it mattered on the court Wednesday night.

The fifth-ranked Rams sliced the Columbia zone for 17 three-point baskets and, coupled with inside dominance, left Tuolumne County with an easy 106-74 Central Valley Conference victory at Oak Pavilion.

The Rams, who play in the same conference as Merced College, had their celebration muted by an email video package that exposed their sometimes less-than-sportsmanlike deportment.

The Chabot College coaching staff, led by former Columbia coach Denny Aye, released an email Monday calling attention to the Rams’ elbow-swinging, tripping and general over-the-line behavior in recent games. Aye, who cited allegations in a long statement, supported his contention with more than 17 minutes of video, some of it in slow-motion, and specifically pointed out what he labeled “unethical tactics.”

“Fresno City men’s basketball (team) is being taught, encouraged and rewarded by their coaching staff to commit decorum violations and sport rulebook infractions,” Aye’s statement read. “They play 12-15 players a game and do not care if once in a while a player gets caught by the officials performing these unethical acts.”

Such accusations have been made regarding Fresno City over the years but often dismissed as sour grapes or envy. The Rams are the 14-time reigning Central Valley Conference champion and a three-time state champion over the past decade.

The Rams press, attack and force the tempo as coach Ed Madec orchestrates frantic five-man rotations throughout the game. The Fresno City “system” has resulted in stunning success but also bitter feelings and – this week – controversy.

Fresno City, sensing the oncoming firestorm, acted quickly. It reportedly suspended starting guard Nick Hilton, the most notorious rule breaker in the video, for two games. Hilton remained with the team but was not in uniform Wednesday night.

The video targeted Hilton for 15 examples of dirty play. He was seen either tripping, or attempting to trip, opponents in nine separate incidents.

Madec elected not to comment on Chabot’s report after Fresno’s victory over the Columbia. He did say that he does not coach or condone malicious behavior on the court.

The California Community College Athletic Association approved coaches’ filming of other team’s games for the first time this season. With that, Chabot attached footage of five recent Fresno City games with its statement of protest.

Columbia coach Rob Hoyt, who watched the video, told Athletic Director Nate Rien that he would pull his team off the court if Fresno repeated such activity.

“I promise if that (Hilton’s tripping) happens on my team, just one time, he would be done,” Hoyt said. “I don’t think that kid should be able to play again.”

There was no obvious unsportsmanlike play against Columbia, though the Claim Jumpers (11-7, 1-2) took 45 free throws. Unfortunately for them, they gutted their chances by missing 18.

Meanwhile, the Rams (17-5, 3-0) warmed to Columbia’s geodesic dome with 59 percent shooting from the floor. They pulled away in part by drilling 17 of 37 from beyond the arc, seven of them netted by Aaron Cameron en route to 25 points. Golden Valley High graduate Evan Stillahn finished with 14 points and eight rebounds for Fresno City.

Columbia, which lost two close games against Fresno City last season, also could not answer the Rams’ physicality in the paint. The Claim Jumpers stayed close until Fresno forward Josh Sykes, the former Golden Valley star, asserted himself midway through the first half. Sykes finished with five points, six rebounds and five blocks.

Fresno opened a 51-41 lead at halftime and clinched its 12th consecutive win with a 12-point flurry to start the second half. Six of Cameron’s three-pointers came after the break as Fresno’s depth wore down the home team.

Kashmiere Hughes, a 6-foot-6 freshman, paced Columbia with 20 points. Sophomore Mike Meserole totaled 18 points in 40 tireless minutes.

“They bring a lot of intensity,” Meserole said about the Rams. “You either play above it or get run out of the gym. I’m glad our freshmen saw it.”

The game paled, however, next to the incendiary charges in the Chabot report. The latter surely will have a longer shelf life than the former.

“What Fresno has been doing,” according to the statement, “is not part of the game.”

This story was originally published January 14, 2016 at 6:47 PM with the headline "Fresno City’s basketball team gets a video black eye."