The Sacramento State men’s basketball team is out to gain respect. The Hornets finished last season with a record of 12-19, their fifth consecutive double-digit season. The Hornets also won games against tough opponents like the 2006 Big Sky Champion Weber State, proving the days when the Hornets had just one double-digit winning season are over. The Hornets believe they are ready to continue their rise.

L.A. native Jerome Jenkins returns to lead the sidelines. Jenkins has been coaching for Sac State for eight years, which make him the second-longest tenured head coach in the Big Sky Conference. Jenkins’ intense leadership and hands-on coaching style are big factors in the Hornet rebuilding process, which has resulted in the Hornets qualifying for the Big Sky tournament four times in the last five years. Jenkins is confident the Hornets are getting better every year.

“Every year our goal is to make the NCAA tournament to compete for the championship and this season is no different,” Jenkins said. “I want to take the program to the next level. I’m thrilled with the way the program has been going, but our program still has a lot of room to grow.”

The Hornets should feel confident that they will continue to improve under Jenkins’ direction. Before his arrival, the Hornets were averaging four wins a season since they joined the Division I league in 1991. Since he’s been coach, his teams are averaging 11 wins a season. Jenkins established tough defense on the Hornets because not only did the Hornets finish second in the nation for steals, they lead the Big Sky Conference in steals at 11 a game.

“He’s a great coach and if anyone is able to turn Sac into a big program, it’s him,” said former Hornet and current CBA player Heron Hargrave.

The Hornet coaching staff will be ready, but the players will also have to be ready to step up. It’s going to be tough for the Hornets, as they lost four of their top five scorers from last season. One player the Hornets are counting on is junior Hornet guard Loren Leath, who averaged over 12 points a game in his two seasons for Sac State and is ready to carry the load.

“I’m ready. Every season I’m getting better and this season’s gonna be special,” Leath said. Contact Lamont Weaver at [email protected]