The story behind an undefeated Silicon Valley college basketball powerhouse
SARATOGA – In one of the Bay Area’s most affluent communities, where some of Silicon Valley’s movers and shakers call home, resides a men’s college basketball team that is knocking on the door of perfection and a state championship.
Last Chance U this is not.
“Nothing like it,” West Valley coach Danny Yoshikawa said in reference to the Netflix series about the many challenges community college athletic programs face. “People do not understand how beautiful our campus is. It’s crazy. It’s really laid out like a private, four-year liberal arts college. Beautiful campus with a creek running through it. Mountains surrounding us.”
In the middle of all that Saratoga scenery is an undefeated basketball team, one that will take a 30-0 record into this weekend’s community college Elite Eight state championships in Southern California, a three-day tournament to determine the No. 1 team in the state.
West Valley is familiar to the scene. The Vikings made the Elite Eight last season and have reached the title game five times, twice under Yoshikawa and three times under the coach Yoshikawa played for in the 1990s, Bob Burton.
But West Valley has not won it all.
“Got to be a little lucky,” Yoshikawa said. “Got to be a little lucky, man. You’ve got to be built for it. Two years ago, we got pressed on Friday and Saturday and then Sunday we just had nothing. We literally played a 7 o’clock game on Saturday and then we turned around and played a 1 o’clock championship game on Sunday. They have to change it.”
Maybe West Valley’s fortunes will improve this time around. The Northern California regional champions will play Cerro Coso of Ridgecrest in the quarterfinals on Friday at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, the host site all weekend. The semifinals are Saturday and the final is Sunday.
Led by Yoshikawa – a basketball lifer who was the head coach at West Valley from 2001-07 before spending 13 years coaching overseas and at four-year schools, including USF and Saint Mary’s – the Vikings have dominated opponents.
They average 84.8 points while allowing 61.2 per game.
Freshman Shakir Odunewu, a 6-foot-11 center who lists Cairo, Egypt, as his hometown but was raised in the United States and went to high school in Texas, averages 17.0 points per game.
Elijah Mahi, a 6-6 sophomore from Toronto who will play at Santa Clara University next season, and Jeremiah Dargan, a 6-4 product of Clayton Valley Charter in Concord who has signed with Montana, also average double figures in points.
Yoshikawa found Mahi and Odunewu through former players who had connections with the high school coaches. Mahi went to a Florida high school his senior year. He said he saw pictures of West Valley online and loves the sun.
“It’s been amazing,” Mahi said. “First year it was tough at points being a freshman, trying to take on a big role, being a leader for this team. There was a lot that (Coach) taught me throughout the year. Being a better defender. Be mature on and off the court. Learning so much the first year really translated to the second year.”
A number of players share housing about 15 minutes from campus, which Dargan said has built chemistry.
“I think that’s what has helped us, honestly,” the former all-Bay Area News Group high school player added. “Living together, playing together. I feel like we’re one big family.”
But nobody — not the players, not the coach — anticipated a 30-0 record going into the final weekend.
“I knew we would be good,” Yoshikawa said. “But what people don’t understand is no matter how good you are, you are going to have a hiccup. You’re going to have a night where you don’t make shots or you’re not fully ready to go.
“Maybe you have an injury and your bench isn’t ready to step up. All these things factor into your season. To never lose is something I have never experienced before.”
After playing at West Valley three decades ago, Yoshikawa starred at UC Davis. He was the conference’s player of the year as a senior. His first stint as West Valley’s coach was impressive, too. He won 75% of his games. He then had success on the bench as an assistant at UC Santa Barbara and later at USF before a superb four years on Randy Bennett’s staff at Saint Mary’s.
But the opportunity to return to West Valley in 2019 presented the best of two worlds – teaching basketball and the flexibility in his schedule to watch his children grow.
“At the Division I level, the time commitment is so heavy, it’s really hard to be a good coach and a good dad,” Yoshikawa said. “Very few people can do it.”
After a 17-11 finish in his first season back at West Valley and no games in 2020-21 because of the pandemic, Yoshikawa has led his team to three consecutive NorCal championships and an 84-9 record.
He was recently named conference coach of the year for the sixth time.
“Yosh is a master teacher,” West Valley assistant Mykel Morse said. “His attention to detail and preparation are unmatched. But really the thing that makes him the most special is how much he cares about the players and the staff. He puts his heart and his soul into us being great every single day. I think it shows.”
Branham High School coach Jason Billie calls Yoshikawa his mentor. Billie played for Yoshikawa at West Valley in the early 2000s and was on the West Valley staff until leaving for the high school job after last season.
“West Valley is a special place,” Billie said. “I think what makes it so special is we all went to West Valley with no scholarships and we all left West Valley with scholarships. The leadership is in place and the coaches are in place. To answer your question, why is West Valley so good? The only way I can really say it is our overarching commitment to excellence every day.”