After a season full of dodging punches and running uphill, the San José State men’s basketball team clinched possession of the last seed in the Mountain West Conference.
The Spartans ended their season this year in defeat at the hands of Colorado State (23-9), dropping in the opening round of the Mountain West tournament 72-62.
“A hard-fought game,” SJSU head coach Tim Miles said. “There's been injury, illness, you name it. I'm so gratified to watch them go out and be in this game. I think that they proved to a lot of people that we're elevating San Jose State basketball where it should be.”
Miles said finding a “winning way” is ultimately the goal of the rest of this season, and that learning to stay together and use their maturity to translate their failure into success for the future is their goal.
“You’re not a loser until you act like a loser,” Miles said. “You act like a loser by giving up. By not bringing your best effort, by bringing an attitude that’s worse than your best.”
One of the brighter spots that gave the Spartan nation something to feel uplifted about was the evolution of SJSU captain and junior guard Alvaro Cardenas.
Cardenas has transformed from being strictly a ball handler to the team’s best 3-point shooter at 38.1%.
However, the greatest improvement of his game isn’t a skill or an art. He said the main thing he’s learned from all the ups and downs of being a Spartan is leadership.
Cardenas’ backcourt teammate Myron Amey, Jr. acknowledged that the Spartan's effort level, not their record, should define if his team looks back for positivity.
“I tell people all the time when we talk about our team that our record doesn't define us because we'll give you — whatever team you put out there, we'll go to the end with them,” Amey said. “We're going to fight until the end. That's why I love these guys, and it was fun to go and compete, go to practice every day.”
Amey was selected by a panel of Mountain West head coaches and by a panel of journalists as an all-conference honorable mention.
Miles acknowledges Amey’s personal struggles and the guard’s fighting nature as something that not only pushed the team harder but also gives the team a shimmer of hope in the years to come.
“His journey is special,” Miles said. “He's been through a lot personally. His mental health, everything that goes with that. To see him at a point where his confidence was so low, and he kind of defined himself only as a basketball player and it wasn't going well because he wasn't healthy.”
Cardenas said the true test of a leader is not only holding everyone accountable, but shouldering the burden of adversity and helping other players find themselves within the game.
“I think I’ve definitely learned to be a better leader,” Cardenas said. “When you’re not winning it shows a lot about your character. I try to give my all, even when we’re losing. I try to help the team as much as I can. I just keep believing we can win.”
Cardenas said Miles helped develop his tenacious work ethic, basketball skill level and nose for competition to the collegiate level.
Miles said the attribute of his team he is most proud of is their ability to show up every day and do their best, come hell or high water.
Miles has been a head coach since 1995 and has handled the reigns in major programs such as Colorado State and Nebraska, according to the Sports Reference website.
Under him, Colorado State went 20-12 and saw an NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) tournament berth in the 2011-2012 season, according to the same source.
Miles acknowledged that no matter the stature of his reputation, his players have an innate belief in him and have the confidence that they can accomplish anything they set their minds to.
“I think for anyone that’s been in our program for two to three years, it’s way different,” Miles said. “These (more experienced) guys know, they’ve been through the battles. They know what they’re up against. They know what it takes to be successful. They’ve seen success.”
Junior forward Tibet Görener, standing at 6-foot-9, recently broke the record for the most 3-pointers made in SJSU history with 161- 3 pointers.
“We have a lot of great guards that find me when I’m open,” Görener said. “Last few years we had Omari (Moore). He got me a lot of open looks. This year, we have Al (Cardenas) and MJ (Amey). I knock a lot of shots down when they find me open.”
Görener said the next step for his team is to use their shortcomings this season to better their games.
Miles said no matter where his players end up in life — a teacher leading their students, a professional athlete or a businessman trying to close deals, he has confidence in his players.
He said in the years to come, they’ve been taught today how to always show up and be ‘everyday guys.’
