With the recent end to the 2019-2020 ACCAC Junior College basketball season coming to a finish recently, and amid the tragic Corona Virus epidemic (COVID-19), our staff has decided to release our selections for the 2020 Arizona Preps JUCO Coach of the Year. After another exciting junior college basketball season, we have decided on the selection of Co-Coaches of the Year - Scottsdale Junior College Head Coach Mark Bunker and Glendale Junior College Head Coach Ken Carrillo.
While there were definitely some very good coaching performances this junior college season, as ACCAC legend Jerry Carrillo led Cochise to another regular season title and posted a 23-8 overall record on the season, and Head Coach Maurice Leitzke led Eastern Arizona to the ACCAC Conference title, Bunker and Carrillo earn our honor as both coaches led their respective programs to excellent seasons - the best in recent memory for both school programs.
Mark Bunker and the Scottsdale JC program had an excellent season all year and stayed at the top of the conference standings throughout the season, before eventually falling in the ACCAC Division-II playoffs to Pima JC, 71-69. In the process, Scottsdale JC also posted a 23-8 overall record on the season, and finished the regular season in first place among division-II programs - the best finish in the ACCAC for Scottsdale JC in recent memory. Bunker took over a program years ago that needed serious help building the culture and leadership. Bunker has worked tirelessly to build the program with very limited resources, and has achieved strong results over the past two seasons - falling in the ACCAC Division-II title game also last season to Pima JC. For all of his hard work and accomplishments in rebuilding the Scottsdale JC program, Mark Bunker is our 2020 Arizona Preps Co-JUCO Coach of the Year.
Ken Carrillo took over the Glendale JC program this season, just before the start to the season, after former Head Coach Guy Meyer took another job. While inheriting a program just before the season and leading a new ball club, Carrillo, a longtime coaching veteran and former division-I coach, immediately organized his group for success. Behind the play of a talented group of performers, led by the play of explosive 5-foot-7 sophomore guard Josh Johnson, Glendale won numerous big games and finished with a 21-10 overall record on the season and a second-place finish among the ACCAC Division-II standings.
Carrillo would then lead Glendale to the ACCAC Division-II Conference Championship with a big home win over Pima JC, 105-96. Glendale was the hottest team in the conference at the end of the season, winning their last (6) games in a row. Carrillo was in an interim position for Glendale JC, and now has been named as the head coach of the program permanently. Carrillo has quickly restored the Glendale JC basketball program after the departure of former Head Coach Damin Lopez and also Guy Meyer, and made Glendale a power in the ACCAC once again. For his amazing accomplishments this past season, Ken Carrillo is our 2020 Arizona Preps Co-JUCO Coach of the Year.
