After injuries derailed last season, the Miami Dade College men’s basketball team enters head coach Jorge Fernandez’s sixth year with a revamped roster and championship aspirations.
The Sharks finished last season with a 17-14 record, frequently relying on a seven-man rotation as injuries depleted their lineup.
“I think this year might be the deepest team since I’ve been here,” Fernandez said. “I think we got a lot of pieces.”
With a deeper rotation, Fernandez plans to implement an up-tempo offense complemented by aggressive defensive pressure.
“I want to play fast,” Fernandez said. “Defensively, I want to pressure the ball. Pick it up full court and try to create havoc with our defense.”
Among the returning players is point guard Julian Crespo, who underwent season-ending ankle surgery last year after playing in only one game.
After months of rehabilitation, the sophomore returned to basketball activities this summer. He hopes to provide leadership in the backcourt.
“Just get all my teammates involved,” Crespo said. “That’s the job of a point guard. The head of the snake, you know, you just gotta think about the team before yourself.”
Sophomore Leeroy Nijean , who is 6-foot-5, also returns after playing out of position at center last season because of the team’s limited frontcourt depth. Despite the disadvantage, he led the team in rebounding last year with 7.3 per game while chipping in 9.8 points a contest.
With additional size on the roster, Nijean hopes to showcase his improved shooting and offensive versatility at his natural position, forward.
“I worked on my shooting, I worked on my skill work outside of the three-point line,” Nijean said.
The Sharks also added several newcomers who bring playmaking, size and perimeter shooting.
Freshman point guard Dior Anderson, a former player at The Patrick School in New Jersey, joins the backcourt. He hopes to contribute defensively while developing his shooting and ability to create opportunities for teammates.
“I’m gonna be playing that point guard role, getting more people involved,” Anderson said.
In the frontcourt, the Sharks added 7-foot center Michael Eliaszadeh, a 23-year-old from Israel, who previously competed in Maccabi Tel Aviv’s youth system.
After a back injury sidelined him for three years, Eliaszadeh returned to the sport last year, playing professionally for Hapoel Holon in the Israeli Basketball Premier League.
The big man hopes to use that experience to provide leadership and strengthen the team’s interior presence.
“I need to be mature, smart, and I control the game,” Eliaszadeh said.
Sophomore guard Anthony Ferrer adds another offensive weapon after transferring from Indian River State College, where he averaged 13 points in 29 games.
The 6-foot-3 Miami native brings perimeter shooting that could create additional spacing for the Sharks’ guards and interior players.
“If someone drives and they’re not helping you off the corner, someone’s getting dunked on,” Ferrer said. “And if they do help, then there’s a three in the corner.”
Despite the additional talent, the Sharks know that developing chemistry, building consistency, establishing roles and establishing Fernandez’s system will take time.
But the ultimate objective remains winning a state championship and earning a trip to Hutchinson, Kansas, for the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I Men’s Basketball Championship.
“The goal is always to win a state championship,” Fernandez said. “We want to put ourselves in a position where we can go to Hutch.”
The Sharks start the regular season on Oct. 30 at 4 p.m. versus Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College at the Pensacola State Classic.
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