CHARLENS NAMED COACH OF THE YEAR; NELSON TABBED PLAYER OF THE YEAR

The Knights wrapped up the regular season with two road wins at Imperial Valley (86-54) and Southwestern (97-66) to finish the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference South with an undefeated 8-0 record. It is the second time in the last three seasons that the Knights have completed conference play without a loss and the conference has rewarded the team for its dominance with Coach of the Year honors for Mitch Charlens, Player of the Year honors for Taylor Nelson, and multiple All-PCAC selecions.

Charlens, who has totaled 219 victories during his 12-year tenure at City, was named PCAC South Coach of the Year for the fifth time.  His Knights won their final nine games and finished with a 22-7 overall record, which marks the fifth time since Charlens took over in 2004-05 that they've reached the 20-win mark. 

The Knights, who clinched their fifth conference championship under Charlens (2004-05, 2008-09, 2011-12, 2013-14, 2015-16) with a 94-82 home win over Mesa on February 12, won all eight conference games by an average of 30.1 points. Seven of those victories came by at least 22 points.

Sophomore guard Taylor Nelson was selected as PCAC South Player of the Year. He averaged a team-high 14.8 points along with 3.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists. 

Nelson started 24 games for the Knights, but was also used as a reserve on five occasions to provide an offensive spark off the bench. He averaged 13.8 points during those five games. Nelson's season-high 33 points came in an 80-70 win over MiraCosta at the Saddleback tournament. He also scored 31 points in a home loss to Grossmont in November. 

Leonard Allen, Spencer Mattox, and Alex Wilbourn were all named to the All-PCAC South first team. Allen averaged 14.3 points while shooting 61.0 percent to go with 8.7 rebounds and a state-leading 3.4 blocks. Allen, who missed the final two games of the season due to an ankle sprain, recorded seven double-doubles, including a 23-point and 20-rebound game in a 93-71 win over Mesa. Allen also had a season-high nine blocks in a 103-45 blowout win over Imperial valley.

Mattox averaged 11.5 points and 3.7 rebounds, and a team-high 3.4 assists in 29 games. He had a season-high 24 points on two occasions.

Wilbourn recorded four double-doubles, including two in the final two games of the season. He averaged 8.7 points and 6.1 rebounds.

Nate Queen, who averaged 5.6 points and 4.0 rebounds, was selected to the All-PCAC South second team along with Rico Falia, who averaged 6.4 points and 1.5 rebounds off the bench. 

Jonathan Smith and Romario Wilson were given honorable mention by the conference.