From the start of the season, the Cyclones had winning as a top priority. With a new head coach and half a new roster, there were a few unknowns but plenty of ambition to fuel a successful season.
John Chappetto was hired as head coach of Cyclone men's basketball in spring 2019. He coached high school with some college experience, but not at the community college level. When he arrived, the first Moraine Valley player he called was sophomore Jalen Hughes, the starting guard, who welcomed the new coach with open arms. Not only did Hughes help lead the team all season, but also earned All-NJCAA Region IV first team and All-Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference second team honors. He finished out the year ranked No. 10 in the NJCAA for total assists (183) and No. 12 for averaging 5.9 assists per game.
"Jalen was always ready to play and put every ounce of energy he had in games even when he was banged up and tired," Chappetto said.
Being new to the NJCAA, Chappetto had to adjust to a different timeline and different set of rules. Although he learned a few lessons and tricks for next year, he also saw a talented group of athletes achieve success.
The team went 25-7 overall and 11-3 in conference for a co-championship. At their peak, they ranked 11th in the NJCAA Division II. In February, they faced the No. 3-ranked South Suburban College Bulldogs and won 71-70 after a go-ahead bucket by Hughes in the last three seconds of the game. They ended the season in the region semifinals against a physical and tough Carl Sandburg College.
"I think we ran out of gas, and that's on me. Maybe we did too much in pre- or midseason. You never want to see them peter out," Chappetto explained. "Sandburg was just better that day. Somebody has to lose; that's the nature of sports. But we have a really good group of players."
Transfer forward Dontia Johnson led the team on offense. He averaged 17.5 points per game and was 28th nationally for total points (559) and 14th for free throws (136-181). He earned All-Region and All-Conference first team honors.
Sophomore forward Zion Fortune and freshman forward Trevon Jones each earned All-Conference honorable mention for their performances as well. Fortune always put in steady effort and was reliable, Chappetto said. Jones was a consistent starter who earned seven double-doubles and had a 36-point high game. The remaining roster was stacked with dependable players, many of whom should return next year.
Chappetto also credits his two assistant coaches – Aaron Green and Kyle Huppe – for recruiting, working on conditioning as well as getting players to focus on academics.
"If you look at the complete body of work, there's a lot to be excited about and proud of this season. Our 25 wins is the result of a lot of hard work. The co-conference championship took two months to accomplish," Chappetto said.
The Cyclone coaching staff is working to get their sophomores on to four-year colleges and universities while also recruiting the next talented group of incomers. However, they will not take this season's crew for granted.
"I told our guys that this was my first Moraine Valley team, and I'll never forget it. They welcomed me, worked hard, we had 25 wins and were co-conference champions. I'm going to miss them," Chappetto said.