Story by Anthony Vaquera, Staff Writer | Photo Courtesy of Cypress Charger Athletics
The Cypress College Men’s Basketball team was eliminated in the second round of the SoCal Regional Finals after losing 98-94 to Citrus College on Saturday, March 8, 2025.
After what Coach Andrew Alhadeff deemed as a successful postseason, he stated, “[It was] a tough challenge playing the No. 2 seed in the South, a very well-coached team. Unfortunately, we didn’t execute well.” He recognizes the fact that this is the first team since 1991 to reach the third round of playoffs.
Alhadeff continued, “This team values the defensive side of the ball by always being ranked top 10.” He mentioned that the teams’ family dynamic and care for each other shows every time they step out onto the court.
Freshman Michael Wright led the way with 13.4 PPG and 6.7 RPG. Sophomore Vincent Albertini also played a notable role in the postseason with his 52.4 FG% and 5.6 RPG.
As he reflected on what he saw this season, he said, “We need to get bigger, stronger, and faster. As a coach, I need to improve on putting our guys in the right place to succeed. I have no doubts that we can do it with a lot of our freshmen returning; this offseason is the best time to improve as a group and individually.”
Alhadeff expects the team to have the same accountability and perform as they are expected to: “our team’s goals are to be tough, smart, and selfless, which includes a lot of tough love.” He stated that he will miss this group of players and the bonds the coaching staff has formed with them. Now, after a few weeks off, they plan to get back to work and prepare for next season.
To learn more about Men’s Basketball, visit the Cypress College Athletics Website.
