Brown to play at Montana State

Terrell Brown (6'4 guard from Colorado Springs, CO) becomes the latest Rattler to play for one year at Otero and move on to the Division I level. Terrell decided to attend Montana State University after recieving interest and offers from several Division I schools. The skilled lefty will have 3 years of eligibility to make a lasting impact for the Bobcats. This past season, Terrell led the Rattlers in scoring with 14.7 pts per game while helping the team to a 26-8 record and a Runner-Up finish at the Region IX Tournament. He was named to the 2013 All-Region IX team (First team), Runner-Up for conference Player of the Year, and was named to the 2013 Region IX Tournament team. Terrell's work ethic and dedication are unmatched. His growth as a player in just one season was tremendous and we will miss having him in our program.



2012-2013 Season Review: Rattlers Fall Just Short From Return To Hutch...

The 2012-2013 Otero Men's Basketball team finished with a record of 26-8 and made the Region IX Championship game for the second year in a row. Otero was seeking to defend their 2012 Region IX Championship and make another trip to Hutchinson, Kansas for the NJCAA National Tournament. Unfortunately, the Rattlers were unable to close out North Platte Community College in the last minutes of the final. However, it was still an incredible season for Otero. The Rattlers notched impressive non-conference wins against Air Force Prep, Missouri-West Plains, and New Mexico JC (NJCAA Ranked All Year). Otero placed 2nd in the Region IX South with a conference record of 11-5.


2012-2013 Otero Junior College Men's Basketball



In the 2013 Region IX Tournament, the Rattlers defeated Miles City, Central Wyoming, and Northwest Wyoming en route to Back to Back Championship games. Sophomores Perryonte Smith, Chris Strong, Yoshio Allen, Andre Reider, and Kallen Link finished as the winningest players in Otero history with a record of 56-14 over the last two seasons. Transfers Jason Armstead, Kentwan Smith, and Daniel Hield all made great impacts in their short time as Rattlers. Freshman Terrell Brown and Chris Golden were both named to the All-Region IX team.

 

The season is a journey and this journey was unforgettable. This team defended the 2012 Championship all year long and took the best shot of every opponent they faced. Their chemistry and camaraderie couldn't have been better and it was an amazing group to coach on and off the floor. We will remember this TEAM and these guys for a long time...

Midnight Madness

Otero Basketball Players Get Introduced.

The start of basketball season is a joyous occasion. This past Monday, the Otero Men's Basketball team, along with their fellow students, faculty, and staff celebrated the beginning of a new journey with Midnight Madness. Nearly 300 people attended the event that included some full-court drills, 3 pt and knockout contests, and finished with a raucous dunk contest. The first 100 students that showed up received free Rowdy Rattler t-shirts. The event started at 10pm but students were already lined up outside the McDivitt Center at 930pm. Elliott Hamdeed, a sophomore from Colorado Springs, won the 3 pt contest by hitting 31 3's in 2:30 minutes. Coach Reed proved he is still deadly from the outside by winning a hotly contested knockout competition. Students won free t-shirts, hoodies, gift cards, and one lucky student won a 32 inch flat screen TV. The highlight of the night was the dunk contest. Seven different Rattler players competed and wowed the crowd. Kentwan Smith, sophomore from the Bahamas, won the top prize by dunking over Coach O'Connor for his first dunk and then going between his legs JR Rider style for his second dunk. This was the first year that Otero MBB has had Midnight Madness, but the evening was so successful that it will probably become a staple on the first night in October.

Kentwan Smith Dunks Over Coach O'C.

Alex Padgett Competes in 3pt Contest.

Another Journey Begins...2012-2013 Season Preview

Returning Sophomore Perryonte Smith

In the upcoming 2012-2013 season, the Otero Junior College Rattlers will look to defend their Region IX Championship. Led by seventh-year head coach Houston Reed, the Rattlers have returned seven sophomores from last year’s roster. That number can be misleading because only three of those players gained genuine playing experience. For some added experience, the Rattlers added four transfers to the team. Five true freshmen will complete the roster. “This group is as talented as any group we have assembled in my tenure here,” said Reed. “The challenge for this group will be fulfilling specific roles, playing as a collective group, and forming an identity that includes toughness."

Returning Sophomore Chris Strong

The Rattlers will be not be returning any starters from last year’s 2012 championship team. Perryonte Smith, Chris Strong, and Lathan Lieb all saw consistent action as freshmen. Kallen Link worked hard in the off season to improve his stock. Yoshio Allen missed much of last season with any injury,  Elliott Hamdeed and Andre Reider will give the roster added depth.  “We will need this group to fulfill a lot of different roles that are equally important,” Reed commented.

The Rattlers added four transfers. Kentwan Smith and Daniel Hield are both natives of Freeport, Bahamas. Smith competed at division one Louisiana-Lafayette last year, while Hield was at Odessa College. Terrell Brown transferred from division one South Dakota and was 5A metro player of the year in Colorado Springs in 2010-11. Point guard Jason Armstead was at Cowley County Community College previously and red-shirted at Otero last spring. Reed stated, “This group of guys really need to get everything out of this season. Their additions could be what puts us in contention."

On the freshman side, Chris Golden is an all-state guard out of Milwaukee. The Rattlers kept the New Mexico connection alive by gaining sharp shooter James Healy from Cibola High School. The freshmen class is completed by adding three Colorado natives in Derek Hillyer from Bayfield, Nick Ongarato from Broomfield, and Alex Padgett from Fruita. Reed commented, “We love this group of guys. We feel they embody the foundation of the program and are great fits here at Otero."

The South Sub-Region IX will now be playing all their opponents in a home-home match up this season. Now giving the Rattlers sixteen conference games. Reed elaborated, “From our analysis Region IX has a lot of good teams this year. We understand the type of effort and execution we’ll need to play with daily to be one of those teams."

Rattlers Shine in Showcases

Four members of the Otero Junior College Men's Basketball program competed in high level showcases this summer. Point guard Perryonte Smith (Milwaukee, Wis), forward Kentwan Smith (Freeport, Bahamas), and post-player Daniel Hield(Freeport, Bahamas) all participated in the 2012  Jerry Mullens Junior College Showcase in St. Louis Missouri on July 14th. All three players will be sophomores for the Rattlers next season and were invited to play in this prestigious JUCO event. Hundreds of 4-year college coaches were on hand to check out some of the best junior college prospects in America.

Also, returning strong-forward Chris Strong (Albuquerque, NM) played in the All-American JUCO Showcase located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event took place during the last weekend in July and was well attended by 4-year college coaches from the highest levels.

The Rattlers will be depending on big contributions from all four of these sophomores as they begin the challenge of defending their 2012 Region IX Championship.

Rattlers Finish Recruiting Class

The Otero Men's Basketball team has finished off its 2012-13 recruiting class with the signing of three more players. These players join the previous six signees. The Rattlers lost 8 sophomores last season to graduation, and are looking at this recruiting class to give a major boost after winning the 2012 Region IX title. Head Coach Houston Reed commented, “These three guys really add to this recruiting class. We feel like we have collected a talented group of student-athletes to represent Otero. Time will tell how they will play as a collective group and what type of toughness we’ll play with. We have some returners coming back as well that we feel really good about. We are looking forward to the fall."

Chris Golden – Milwaukee, WI

Golden is a 6’2” scoring guard from Wisconsin Lutheran High School, which finished the season 16-9 and won their conference for the seventh year in a row. Chris averaged 16.4 points per game while making 49 threes.  He was selected the unanimous conference player of the year along with being selected to the all-state team. Chris was coveted by several division one schools receiving interest from Northern Colorado, Montana, Eastern Kentucky, Northern Illinois, South Dakota, amongst others. He was also recruited by Labette and Indian Hills junior colleges. Coach Reed added, “Chris can score the ball in a variety of ways. Junior college ended up being part of his journey and we are happy his choice was Otero. He scores well off the bounce, is an unselfish player and person, and has a nice offensive feel for the game. He obviously comes from a very winning and well coached program completing his package as a player."

                     

                                                                 Daniel Hield, Freeport, Bahamas

Hield is a 6’10” 300 pound post player from the Bahamas. Daniel was a reserve post player last year for Odessa College in Texas. Odessa finished the season with a 24-8 record and when there was a coaching change Hield looked to transfer schools. Daniel has a definite presence in the post. He is big, has nice hands and feet, and moves well for being as big as he is. He will have one year of eligibility at Otero. “We are excited about having big Daniel next season. He will give us some added experience in the post after losing two sophomores in the post last season. There are not a lot of players in our region with Daniel’s size. He will add to our depth and give us an added weapon in the post to utilize. We are looking forward to working with him. He’s a great kid and will fit our culture at Otero,” Reed stated.

                                                     Kentwan Smith, Freeport, Bahamas

Smith is a 6’8, 205 pound forward originally from the Bahamas. Smith spent last season at division one Louisiana-Lafayette in the Sun Belt conference. He prepped at Piney Woods in Mississippi where they won a state championship his senior year. In 2011, he was rated as a top 15 prospect in the state of Mississippi. Smith decided to transfer to Otero to find a better fit. Coach Reed had this to say, “Kentwan plays facing the basket. He will give us some length and athleticism, along with some experience in the wing position. He saw some playing time last season at a high level. He has a great work ethic and I strongly believe his best basketball is still in front of him. We look forward to continuing his growth at Otero in his year of eligibility here."

Rattlers Reload for 2012-2013

Coming off an unprecedented championship run, the Rattlers have added a deep recruiting class that will try to replace the 8 sophomores that were lost to graduation. Head Coach Houston Reed is pleased to announce this first list of future Otero Junior College basketball players...the rest of this year's class will be released shortly.

Alex Padgett – a 6’3” guard from Fruita Monument , CO. Alex was part of three Southwestern Conference championships in his career, only losing one conference game in his playing career. The Wildcats finished the season with a 21-4 record. Alex averaged 17.7 ppg and 3.4 apg as a senior earning recognition as a 1st team all-conference selection, and he was also selected as an all-tournament player in every tournament the Wildcats played in this season. Alex was also recently selected as Kiwanas Student of the month. Alex also received recruitment from Colorado Mesa University, Metro State, and UCCS. “Alex embodies the type of player and person we want as a student-athlete at Otero. His improvement as we watched him develop in high school makes us believe he can immediately impact our program and will earn a division one scholarship from Otero. We ultimately were attracted to him by his work ethic, character, unselfishness and obviously his ability to play,” head coach Houston Reed commented.

Nick Ongarato – a 6’3” guard from Broomfield, CO. Broomfield High School advanced to the 4A Final Four and completed the season with a 24-2 record. Nick averaged 12.2 ppg, and 2.3 apg, making 88 threes this season earning him first team all-conference and all-state honorable mention. He was also selected as an all-state football player. Nick also received recruitment from Eastern Wyoming, Colorado State-Pueblo, and several junior colleges in California where he has family living. “We have been recruiting Nick for quite awhile. He’s a winner. Broomfield was one of the best teams in the state this year large in part to his contributions. Nick comes up with big plays at opportune times; rather if it’s hitting a shot, pulling a rebound or getting the ball where it’s suppose to go. His toughness and winning attitude makes him a great fit here.” head coach Houston Reed commented.

Mando Marshall – a 6’5” forward from Las Cruces, NM. Las Cruces High School finished the season with a 24-5 record qualifying for the state tournament. Mando averaged 16 ppg and 7.0 rpg, 4.1 apg, shooting 60 percent from the floor. He was named district 3-5A player of the year, was a first team all-state selection as a senior, and selected to play in the prestigious New Mexico North-South all-star game. He was selected as a first team all-district player three straight years. Mando received recruitment from many division one schools throughout the year. He also was recruited by Cochise and Northeastern before choosing Otero. “We fell in love with Mando when we set eyes on him. He has great athletic ability. He has a grit and toughness to him we really like. We really like his ability to finish around the rim and play in transition. Coach Benjamin has done a great job with him and we are excited to work with him and watch him continue to develop his game and grow as a player,” head coach Houston Reed commented.

James Healy – a 6’3” shooter from Cibola High School in Albuquerque, NM. Cibola High School finished the season with a 20-7 record spending the year as a top ranked team. James averaged 21 ppg, shooting 43 percent from three on the season. James was recognized as district 1-5A player of the year, 2nd team all-state, and 1st team all-metro. James maintained a 4.0 grade point average throughout all four years of high school. He was also recruited by Cochise, E. New Mexico, and University of South Dakota. “James shoots the eyes out of the basketball. He has deep range and a pure stroke. He has a great feel for the game and is great and reading screens and making basketball choices. He’s a high character kid that has a second to none work ethic which makes us feel like he’s a great fit,” head coach Houston Reed commented.

Derek Hillyer – a 6’9” post from Bayfield, CO. Though Bayfield had an up and down season, Derek was a solid contributor throughout the season. The post from Bayfield averaged 15.6 ppg, 8.1 rpg, and 2.5 blocks per game for the Wolverines. Derek was recognized as first team all-conference player. He also received recruiting attention from Fort Lewis and Western State. “We believe that Derek’s best basketball is still in front of him. He has a lot of tools that with polish can make him a high level player at the collegiate level. He comes from a strong basketball background. We are excited to see him develop and grow”, commented head coach Houston Reed.

Tyler Shetterly -6’6” post/forward prepped at Washington High School in Sioux Falls, SD. The Warriors finished the season with a 15-9 record making it to the final four in the state tournament. Tyler averaged 13.7 ppg, 8.4 rpg, and 2 blocks per game earning him first team all-conference and all-city honors. He received recruiting interest from Augustana, Northwestern Iowa, and Upper Iowa before choosing Otero. “Every guy we talked to says Tyler plays his tail off. He has the ability to score and finish one on one on the block. He can stretch you out to 15 feet with his jumper. We were drawn to him by his intangibles, sealing in the post, running the floor, and constantly pursing rebounds,” said head coach Houston Reed.