CCAC-Boyce men's basketball team looking for stability

Consistency and continuity in college basketball is key to a successful record.

CCAC-Boyce men's coach Dave Devenzio said his 2016-17 squad has gone through several ups and downs with players coming and going for different reasons, leading to inconsistencies and a 5-15 record.

“It's been a tough year with continuity,” Devenzio said.

“We've had guys miss because they've had to take care of things on the academic side. Someone else quit and then came back. It's people coming and going constantly. The coach at Butler (County Community College) in our league said he's had the same nine guys all year at every practice and every game. We haven't had that. We had five guys start a recent game who I don't think were ever on the court together at the same time, in a practice or a game. I make sure they know that it takes time to get that consistency down.”

But through it all, Devenzio said, the players have given a great effort in practice and in games.

“It's definitely been a work in progress,” he said. “It's been frustrating at times because I know and the guys know they have the talent to be successful.”

Boyce, who plays at the Division III level in the National Junior College Athletic Association, has three games remaining in the regular season before the six-team Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference tournament Feb. 10-12.

Devenzio said Boyce probably will be the fifth or sixth seed and will have to play on the road in each round of the tournament, which starts with two quarterfinal games.

Last year, Boyce won at home in the quarterfinals before seeing its run end on the road in the semifinals.

Community College of Beaver County plays regular-season league games, and its wins and losses count in the league standings. But because it is in NJCAA Division II, it participates elsewhere in the postseason.

Devenzio always stresses that academic studies and work responsibilities trump the basketball side of things. Because of that, practice times often are adjusted to accommodate players.

Boyce has an eight-man roster. All of them are first-year players at a level where players move on after two years.

The season started with only one returning player: Gateway graduate Devontae Butler.

Butler led the team in scoring through the first half of the season at 14.8 points per game. However, for financial reasons, Devenzio said, Butler left school.

“Devontae gave us a lot in his time here,” Devenzio said. “He was really effective on the court for us. He took advantage of his opportunity in the classroom and on the court. He does motivational speaking and is making a positive impact. He will be successful in life.”

Four players are 2016 graduates from area high schools: Gateway's Etholion Vennie, Woodland Hills' Jalique Burks and William Cordy, and Springdale's Alex Pane.

The other four came went to high school from out of state.

Devenzio said a basketball team at the community college level is built through recruiting at local high schools and talking to students already on campus.

Vennie was recruited in high school.

“We played in the summer, and I saw that talent in him,” Devenzio said. “The first couple of games, he started a little slower than I thought he would. Then it was almost like a light bulb turned on, and he's been very good for us. I am happy as heck that he is a part of our team.”

Vennie, a point guard, is averaging about eight points.

“This has been a great situation for me,” said Vennie, who wanted to work on improving his academic status while still having the chance to play organized basketball.

“Coach Devenzio really helped me a lot. It's a great challenge, and it's nice to be able to play with and against some really great players.”

Devenzio said there are opportunities to advance in college basketball past CCAC-Boyce if the individual is willing to put in the time and effort.

“College coaches at different levels are always contacting me to see if there are any players who could make an impact at their school,” he said.

An example of that is Penn Hills graduate Derrick Smith, a two-year member of the Boyce squad who got a shot last year to play at Greensboro College (N.C.) in NCAA Division III.

Michael Love is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at mlove@tribweb.com or via Twitter @Mlove_Trib.