Oct 20 2035: 3-star prospect Derek Pittman committed.
Jun 26 2035: Paxton Yoneda was drafted round #2, pick #16 by Indiana.
Mar 11 2035: Made the national tournament field.
Feb 24 2035: 3-star prospect Marshall Cooke committed.
Feb 08 2035: 2-star prospect Darren Mitchell committed.
Nov 08 2034: 3-star prospect Berry Ford committed.
Jun 27 2034: Andrew Grace was drafted round #1, pick #13 by San Antonio.
Mar 12 2034: Made the national tournament field.
Dec 29 2033: 2-star prospect Jack Grace committed.
Dec 08 2033: 5-star prospect Marques Ford committed.
Pts Ave: 101.3 - 62.4 Pts Diff: +38.8 Team Power Index: 150.9
Press Releases:
Nov 17 2035: 2036 Preview: Penguins Prepare to Put Pressure on Premier Pool - by gards710 on December 2nd, 2023
As many may know, president gards710 has decided that 2040 will be the last season at the helm of the Dominican University of California. Many successes have come since gards’s hiring back in the early stages of the 2013 season. The most recent was the recruitment of Berry “Fusion” Ford, a promising Canadian high schooler who some evaluators think could be just as good as Penguin prodigies Brian Hofmeister, Marcus Choate, and soon-to-be Bill Marshall.
Speaking of Marshall, the Fire Marshall has lived up to his name, scorching non-conference teams to 27 points per game to go with elite shooting numbers, almost 10 assists a game, 2.6 steals a game, with very good defense to boot. While Ford and Marshall will only see limited time on the floor together this season, the program hopes that Fusion can pick up a thing or two from the redshirt senior as Marshall lights it up in his last season.
The rest of the roster isn’t just sitting on their hands as Marshall torches opponents either, with each player boasting threatening skillsets. Prominently, Randy Watson returns from redshirting last season to impose his massive interior scoring ability with the defense's attention on FMBM. Former 5-star recruit Marques Ford is perhaps the most talented 3rd option in the country and can fill up the stat sheet. Bigs Deon Woods and Quentin Howe form a deceptively destructive duo that can blitz unsuspecting teams. And Amani Merritt has emerged from the pile of young perimeter players to showcase his ability to fit with it all. Meanwhile Louie Hickman, Russ Proffitt, and Jack Grace continue to develop off the bench and have shown their strengths.
Incoming recruits Darren Mitchell and Marshall Cooke offer some unique skillsets that we look forward to seeing play next to Berry Ford in the future as they begin their development. And of course, back to Ford. The man who marks the beginning of the end. The Penguins will follow the path he travels. And if high school was any indication, that is a path of elite development. He is probably the player that president gards has been the most excited about in years, perhaps ever. And that includes Hof, Choate, and Marshall.
We certainly will enjoy the fireworks that Marshall and the rest of the team provide for as long as we can. And with conference play beginning, it’s time to turn up the heat.
Nov 08 2034: A Berry Warm Welcome - by gards710 on October 4th, 2023
Today marks perhaps the most monumentous (totally a word) day in DUCA history. Bigger than Brian Hofmeister's commitment. Bigger than promoting to Legends. Bigger than winning the Division 2 National Championship. Today, Berry Ford of Coquitlam (we're screening PA announcers who can pronounce that correctly), British Columbia, committed to be a Penguin. "We're ecstatic to sign a such a high caliber player. We sent about 170 mail, texts, calls, DMs, etc. to him. We look forward to great things as we combine forces."
And that means gards710 will stay at DUCA to guide this prodigy's college career before making his exit.
Oct 05 2034: Howe Will Penguins Af-Ford to Proffitt off Merritt of Woods and Cotton? - by gards710 on September 23rd, 2023
As the Dominican (CA) Penguins gear up for the 2035 season, there is much in question after 4 seniors graduated, including two starters and sixth man Andrew Grace getting drafted to the pros at 13th overall to San Antonio.
After going on a surprising run to the Final Four in the 2034 National Tournament, the Penguins have emerged from the winter months of June through August (and by that, I mean summer, but you know, penguins are mostly Southern hemisphere animals, so seasons are opposite) with both questions and hope. Will "Fire Marshall" Bill Marshall be able to carry the team on his shoulders? What will "Rockstar" Randy Watson do in his sophomore campaign, after having gotten benched late in 2034 and then growing half an inch and gaining 20 pounds in the offseason? Will the latest 5-star recruit Marques Ford live up to the billing of Hof and Choate or go the way of Grace? And perhaps most pertinent after the announcement by president gards710 that he will be leaving the program soon, will the team land Canadian recruit Berry Ford to extend gards' reign?
And all in the meantime, this team is going to try and win some games in the top conference of Hardwood Basketball. To do that, the Penguins are going to rely on Marshall, Watson, and senior big man Paxton Yoneda. Senior Teshuan Cotton looks penciled in at the point. And so that leaves one of the starting wing spots open. Will it be Amani Merritt, who has not earned anything on his name and been maligned due to a perceived slow development, along the lines of Marc "Chubbs" Chapman and Adam Wojcik? Merritt though seems to have the theoretical ideal skillset and played well when getting on the court last season. But if he can't grow, Russ Proffitt will profit. Proffitt has great size and speed and also the proper theoretical skillset, but is less developed and younger than Merritt. And finally, 5-star recruit Marques Ford, if he does not redshirt, would be the easy choice to start. However, the team would love for Ford to redshirt to develop more.
One thing is for sure, Penguins leave no stone unturned and this program of persistent Penguins will be hard at work to answer all questions.
Apr 03 2034: Penguins Pick Prime Position - by gards710 on September 21st, 2023
Halfway through the 2034 conference schedule, the President of Dominican-CA had just returned from a month on a tropical island. He came back to a program on the brink of one of its worst seasons. The remote check-ins were clearly not the wave. It was time to save the season.
How? He could be seen talking to a hooded figure with his hands behind his back in the hallways of the Conlan Center. Not much of the conversation could be heard, but one tidbit that was audible was "be 7th in your conference".
The Penguins did finish 7th in Legends and went on a surprising run in the National Tournament to the Final Four. Elation, hope, prosperity. All for not as the Penguins could not stop St. Bonaventure, a fellow Legend-ary program. "We cannot afford to profit off of just merit. We must move on to next season!" proclaimed head coach Darren Cahill, who was holding a plane ticket to British Columbia and the newest issue of Hardwood History.
Oct 06 2033: Penguins Ready! - by gards710 on July 30th, 2023
Another top 5 finish in Legends and a National Tourney appearance would be solid for most programs. But not at DUCA. First round NT exits have become the norm and that needs to change.
Graduating a pro-caliber player in Avondre Lynch (a second round pick to OKC) and a former all-conference center in Nicholas Grant surely will be tough for the Penguins to replace. But prognosticators have noticed DUCA's depth, especially on the perimeter. Although none of the starting positions are set, look for some high-octane play out of Northern California this season!