As NCC men’s basketball prepares for a new season, they’re led by a new face. Coach Todd Raridon was named the head coach at his alma mater, Hastings College, back in March. Raridon is the all-time winningest coach in NCC men’s basketball history. The new man in charge, Anthony Figueroa, comes to NCC from NJCAA Division II school Parkland College.
Figueroa coached Parkland to a 23-8 record last year along with an NJCAA Central District Championship before advancing to the national tournament. He had a 221-79 overall record at Parkland, highlighted by two Elite 8 appearances.
Figueroa emphasized his job as a coach is more than just preparing the team for another season.
“Athletics are a mechanism. It’s a way to show young people how to work in this world. How well can you work with others, communicate with others, meet deadlines . . . manage your time. Athletics are a great way to measure how ready you are for the world,” said Figueroa.
There’s a lot of pressure on men’s basketball this year. After a massive upset of #5 Illinois Wesleyan in the CCIW conference tournament semifinal, they lost the championship to Elmhurst University. The Bluejays ended up making it all the way to the national championship before losing to Randolph-Macon. The program has already received preseason recognition, as senior forward Matt Helwig was named a Preseason Third Team All-American according to D3Hoops.com.
The 2022-23 season starts Nov. 11 in Waukesha, Wisconsin at the Carroll University Pioneer Tip-Off Classic.
Listen to The Cardinal Podcast for the full interview with Figueroa.
