MiraCosta College often goes by the letters MCC.
But men’s basketball coach Rob Robinson believes AARP might be a better abbreviation.
MiraCosta’s leading player is Ramel Bethea, a 28-year-old Navy veteran who uses his 6-foot-9 frame to lead all California Community College players in blocked shots.
He’ll soon be ed by Isaiah Stokes, a 26-year-old forward who returned to the court this season after sitting out since the COVID-19 pandemic. In his earlier life, Stokes played at the University of Florida.
Age isn’t the only thing that sets MiraCosta apart from its Coast Athletic Conference rivals. At a time when most two-year colleges are starting three (and sometimes four) guards, the Spartans have four regular forwards at 6-foot-6 and taller plus four guards of 6-foot-3 or taller.
“My posts are the story,” said Robinson. “We’re better suited to play against the better teams. We might be better suited to play a Division II NCAA team than a guard-loaded two-year program.
“It’s unusual. It’s interesting. We’re big. We don’t push the ball that well. We don’t do well in transition. We grind it out. We can play with anybody. But if the other team has good guards, we’re going to struggle. Handling pressure is difficult for a big team built the way we are.
“That’s my team. We’re big. But we’re not as skilled in shooting, ing, dribbling. We’ve got the big guys who are solid inside offensively and defensively. But we’re a guard or two short from being dominant.”
Robinson thought he had all the guards he needed last August. But just before the 2024-2025 school year began, three returning guards transferred to four-year schools.
MiraCosta has found solutions from three sophomores. DeVaughn McCrumb leads the PCAC with 5.7 assists per game. Benji Hilstock (Vista High School) and John Hapgood (San Dieguito Academy) provide the outside shooting that keeps defenses honest.
“I’ve learned to play smarter against the pressure,” said McCrumb. “We don’t want to speed it up, but we want to beat the press before it sets up. Our bigs work very hard and are good people. That makes the game easier. Penetrating and ing off is one of our strengths.
Which brings us to Bethea, the 28-year-old freshman. He grew up in Baltimore before spending five years in the Navy. He leads MiraCosta with an average of 12.6 points, 9.4 rebounds and 4.4 blocks per game.
Bethea hadn’t played basketball since the age of 10 when he ed the Navy in 2019.
“I was 6-foot-4 in high school and scrawny,” said Bethea. “I grew up and out when I was in the Navy and started playing basketball again when I was 22.”
Bethea was playing for the Navy team in the 2023 U.S. Armed Forces Championships when he caught the eye of Marines coach Brandon Mitchell, who doubles as an assistant coach at MiraCosta. A year later, after playing on the U.S. team that won the International Military Championships in Mons, Belgium, Bethea decided to leave the Navy and ed Robinson and Mitchell. His scholarship at MiraCosta is being paid for by the the GI Bill.
“I still have very little basketball experience,” said Bethea. “But I’m athletic. And it all starts with my defense. Blocking shots, rebounding, moving on defense gets everything else going.”
Despite his limited experience and advanced age, Bethea has heard from a number of colleges, including Texas A&M, Boston College and Fresno State. Robinson believes Bethea should move on after one season at MiraCosta.
“Ramel could be the Defensive Player of the Year in the state,” said Robinson. “He’s had nine, nine and seven blocks in the last three games. He has a 7-foot wingspan. He’s just learning to play basketball and he’s already a Division I prospect.
“Yes, he could be here for a second year. But why? Our job at this level is help create futures for our athletes. Ramel’s time is now.”
Bethea has been ed up front by sophomores Jaiden Greene (6-foot-7; 4.8 points, 3.4 rebounds per game) and Pearse Long (6-foot-6; 7.7 points, 4.2 rebounds per game).
The Spartans will get a boost later this week, when the 6-foot-8, 270-pound Stokes (6.8 points per game) returns from an injury and academic clearance.
“Stokes’ highlights came against Kentucky,” Robinson said of the former SEC player.
Hilstock is MiraCosta’s second-leading scorer at 9.9 points a game while also averaging 3.9 rebounds and shooting 36.6% from three-point range. Hapgood is averaging 7.2 points a game while hitting 40% from long distance. McCrumb is also averaging 8.6 points a game.
The Spartans are 18-7 overall and second in PCAC play with an 11-2 record and five straight wins. They are the only team in the PCAC that has beaten San Diego City College. MiraCosta plays at 11th-ranked San Diego City College (19-5, 11-1) at 5 p.m. Friday night then plays at Palomar (15-9, 8-4) on Feb. 19 — a pair of games that will likely decide the PCAC title.
MiraCosta beat both SDCC and Palomar at home and by two points at the buzzer in their earlier meetings after holding big leads earlier in each game.
MiraCosta led City College 40-18 in the first meeting when the Knights rallied to tie the game at 50-50. Bethea then scored the winning basket at the buzzer.
“City College came back with their pressure and had all the momentum when Ramel scored,” said Robinson.
One game later, Palomar rallied from a double-digit deficit and tied the score at 70-70. But the Comets called a timeout in the final seconds when they didn’t have a timeout remaining. A technical foul was called, and Hapgood sunk both free throws.
“This time,” McCrumb said, “we have to stay composed down the stretch.”
Every week, U-T contributor Bill Center highlights one San Diego college team that’s making strides on and off the court. To nominate a team, email [email protected].
