The DMACC basketball team finished the season 29-5 this year, and although falling short of the championship game, still had a season to remember.
Trevian Carson was named player of the year in the ICCAC, the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference. Head Coach Blake Sandquist won Coach of the Year for the second season in a row. Da’shon Fisher was first team all-region, along with Trevian Carson, with Andrew Austin and Jaden Jefferson being named to second team all-region. Trevian Carson and Da’Shon Fisher also earned NJCAA, National Junior College Athletic Association, All-American honors. Carson was named to the first team and Fisher, from Iowa City, earned third-team honors.
DMACC reaches #3 in the NJCAA DII rankings – photo courtesy Blake Sandquist
The DMACC Bears won the NJCAA championship in the 2020-21 season and have eight ICCAC championships, winning back-to-back the last two seasons, along with seven regional championships, most recently in 2021-22.
The Bears received an at-large bid and were invited to the NJCAA Division II championship after their loss to Iowa Central in the ICCAC semifinals. They have qualified for the Championship 5 times since 2020. They were 29-3 going in and were ranked third in the Division-II poll from NJCAA at the time. They received the No. 5 seed, but their season was cut short after losses in their first two games in the tournament.
Coach Blake Sandquist talking to Forward Jamal Ambrose – photo courtesy Blake Sandquist
Head Coach Blake Sandquist has been the coach for DMACC for the last two seasons. He had been an assistant coach for William Penn for the previous 11 seasons. While at William Penn, Sandquist’s record was 295-74, and his team qualified for 10 out of 11 NAIA national tournaments. He has compiled a 94-16 record with DMACC in his third season and has a 46-8 record in the ICCAC.
Sandquist said, “This group has been a blast to coach, and I believe their ability to handle adversity in the moment has been the key component to why they have been so successful.”
He also said that their win over Kirkwood to win the ICCAC Regular Season Championship was his favorite game of the season: “To be able to win in such a large fashion, and then cut the nets down after the game, it was truly a dream come true!”
The coach said the team is preparing for a National Tournament in Danville, Illinois, and is very excited to get the opportunity to compete against the top teams at their level.
Guard Demetrius Shakur (#2) in a team huddle – courtesy Blake Sandquist
Sophomore point guard Demerius Shakur, from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, said the team has been through a lot of adversity, but they always find a way to push through. He said, “Our bond is on another level. You would think we all have been playing with each other for years.”
If Shakur could describe the season in one word, he would say resilient. He said the team always pushes through no matter the circumstances and has a team motto called “staydown,” meaning stay down until you come up. He wants the team to be remembered for how close they are and how dedicated they are.
Shakur said, “This team is special and I want to be remembered as one of those teams that are undeniable.”
He said the team stayed motivated because they all knew what the goal was to win a national championship. Their coaches and managers pushed the team every day to attempt to accomplish the goal and everyone in the program believed they could accomplish this, according to Shakur.
Even though the team fell short of this goal, they still have a lot to be proud of. Shakur’s advice for incoming players is to build a bond within the community and to embrace being a bear and enjoy it. He said, “Remember that it’s not always about you and put your team first.”
Guard Trevian Carson goes up for a layup – courtesy Blake Sandquist
Sophomore star Trevian Carson, from Des Moines, said the key to success this year was accountability and trusting your brother to have your back and be there for you. He said a word to describe the team was resilience, because of all the injuries and adversity they faced. He said the team never made excuses, kept fighting, and found ways to win.
He said the team stayed motivated because, “We’re hungry for a national championship and we know in order to accomplish that goal we have to stay locked in and be intentional with everything we do.”
Carson’s advice to future players is to be consistent, be patient, and prepare yourself for the hardest situation possible so everything will be easy.
Carson finished 10th or higher in the ICCAC in PPG, rebounds, assists, and steals. He averaged 15.5 points a game and 7.9 rebounds a game while shooting 58% from the field, 40% from three, and 80% from the free throw line.
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