NO. 13 KNIGHTS SET TO PLAY BARSTOW IN SEASON OPENER

The San Diego City College men's basketball team will tip off the 2018-19 season at home (Harry West Gymnasium) against Barstow College on Friday, November 2 at 3 p.m. The Knights will start the new season as the No. 13 team in the state, according to the CCCMBCA preseason poll.

The game is part of the 13th annual Knights' Invitational, a 4-team tournament that also includes Orange Coast College and No. 5 Citrus College who will play at 1 p.m. on Friday. The Knights won the tournament a year ago for the second time in the tournament's history. 

The Knights are coming off a season in which they won the most games in school history (33-3) and made a second consecutive trip to the state final after winning the state championship in 2017.

San Diego City went undefeated (10-0) in the PCAC South for the third year in a row to win its seventh conference championship under Head Coach Mitch Charlens. The Knights have been picked by the PCAC Sports Information Directors to win a fourth straight conference title.

City is 28-0 in conference the last three years and are 42-2 over the last five. 

Sophomores Joseph Riley, Adrian Byrd-Jellinek, Trevor Drake, and Chubath Tut played key roles off the bench last season and are the only returners and will provide veteran leadership to a team with 10 freshmen. 

The winners of Friday's games will play in the tournament championship on Saturday, November 3 at 5 p.m. The third place game will tip at 3 p.m. on Saturday. 

In addition to the state championship and seven PCAC titles, Charlens has led the Knights to 284 wins and eight postseason appearances since 2004.