The Bakersfield College men’s basketball team has had an up and down season this year, with a lot more downs than ups. Over the years, head coach Rich Hughes has put together five of BC’s best seasons with consecutive trips to the regional playoffs. But those numbers and past seasons don’t mean anything this year. Hughes and the Renegades have struggled mightily, with size and lack of defensive intensity being just two of the many problems.

Another main problem is, the Renegades don’t have any pure-talented, make your jaw drop, flat out ridiculous scorers. They don’t have someone to create off the dribble, shoot off of a screen, or work off the ball screen and just make things happen when they need points.

You couldn’t tell me that former Ridgeview guards Travon Wesson and Robert Roberts, or six-foot-eight forward/center Kaylin Evans wouldn’t make a major difference on BC’s squad this season. That’s just three players off the top of my head. There are several more that either skipped town or decided to not play at BC for some reason.

Along with those problems, come the recruiting issues that are unique to Bakersfield. Whether it’s at the Division 1 level at CSUB or at the JC level here at BC, it’s hard to keep the talent in town – in town.

Let’s list them as types of players and numbers for the sake of the argument.

“Player 1” is a D1 prospect player from a Kern County High School within the past couple of years. Just about all of them left town to play for “the big boys.” Taking their talents to schools like USC and UCLA down south and other Pac-10-12 schools up north, generally.

Then you have “Player 2” whose academic records are suspect, but their athletic potential and upside is so great, that D1 schools, such as Fresno State and others – generally out of state – like Utah, Utah State, Boise State, Nevada, and the rest of the WAC and Mountain West Conferences steal away.

And last, but certainly not least, is “Player 3” who, would nicely fill out a roster spot, on a D1 school’s roster, but is usually immature, has way too many academic disturbances, and has way too many personal issues and or kids to count.

CSUB is settling for the guy between players two and three, obviously not what they want. Usually, they get player 2.5 from someone else’s back yard and miss out on player one from Bakersfield all together.

Here at BC, Hughes tries to get player three and turn him around and get him back on the right track as the player helps rack up the wins for the Renegades.

The problem is Hughes isn’t getting those guys anymore. For years, Hughes has made it his business to get guys to commit to his program and for years it was going a lot smoother than it has in the past two years.

Hughes has had to extend his search to as far as Chicago to get the talent he’s searching for, and its still hasn’t worked. This season, the Renegades roster consists of five players from Illinois.

I’ve been to a fair share of high school basketball games this year and have seen Hughes out on the recruiting trail several times. So it’s not a matter of man-hours put in.

A couple questions come to mind when I sit and think about this situation: one, where are all these players going? Two, why aren’t they staying at home?

People throw out the fact that Bakersfield is a small town and kids that have grown up here just want a chance to get out. Another common reason is the lack of exposure kids feel they get here. Also, prestige and history of the program and school are to be taken into account.

Here’s a thought. Maybe help build on to a team’s history and prestige. Build on that five-year run Hughes has going. Be one of the players that were part of a 15 year run. Add to the tradition of players who played two solid years at BC and transferred out to a four-year school.

As far as exposure goes, the same way you were recruited by four-year schools will be the same way you can be looked at when you transfer out or at the next level. Scouts will find you. It’s what they’re paid to do.

The fact that Bakersfield is small should be a benefit to players because there is less trouble to get into. I’m not saying there is nothing you can do to get in trouble, there’s just a lot less. Another benefit is, you get a closely-knit community behind you and if players help build a stronger tradition with a program, the community will continue to show their support. Could you imagine half of a BC football crowd at other Renegade sporting events? It would be impossible for away teams to play up here.

And I don’t know if people have noticed, but Bakersfield is a centrally located position. You can have the best of big city living in just a couple of hours.

With football, CSUB not having a football program is a reason why BC maintains a level of quality players, but still I really applaud kids like Bakersfield High’s quarterback Brian Burrell for turning down several offers from the lower cellar D1 four year schools and deciding to come to BC and further his education and develop his talent under good coaches like Jeff Chudy and Carl Dean.

I just wish there were more athletes in more sports that made a commitment to play at home.