San Joaquin Delta's Ricci and Southwestern's Cosentino get call for CCCMBCA enshrinement

RIVERSIDE - Philip Ricci, who starred at San Joaquin Delta and Oregon State, has been selected for enshrinement by the CCCMBCA Board of Directors and will join John Cosentino, former head coach of Southwestern College for 30 years, in the organization's Hall of Fame. 

During his two-year Mustang career, Ricci, a 6-foot-7 forward, helped the program to a 55-13 record, a conference championship and two appearances in the state tournament, including a Final Eight appearance.

He was an all-conference and all-state selection as a freshman after helping the Mustangs to a 25-8 record a Sweet Sixteen appearance. His sophomore season, the former Galt High School star, earned the Big Eight Conference Most Valuable Player award and was named the state's Co-Most Valuable Player of the Year after leading San Joaquin Delta to a 30-5 record and a Final Eight appearance. He averaged 20 points and 12 rebounds. Going into his sophomore season, a college scout said, ''Ricci's one of the top post players coming out of junior college next year. He has a rare combination of size, big, soft hands, and good footwork. He can spot up outside or take it inside.''

He was selected to the College Hoops Insider.com All-Junior College Transfer Team. At the time, Ricci was one of five California community college players expected to declare for the National Basketball Association draft, but he instead transferred to Oregon State to earn his degree. 

After redshirting the 2000-21 season after undergoing preseason knee surgery, Ricci led the Beavers in scoring his junior year, averaging 16.2 points per game. He started a team-high 27 games. He recorded six double-doubles his junior season, the most by a Beaver since Mustapha Hoff (a CCCMBCA Hall of Fame inductee last year) had seven in 1995.

He earned second team National Basketball Coaches Association (NABC) All-District and was named to the Great Alaska Shootout Team after averaging 18 points and 8 rebounds in games vs. Texas, St. John's, and Alaska-Anchorage. He earned Pac-10 Player of the Week after averaging 18.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in a road sweep of Washington and Washington State and received the program's Ralph Miller Award at the end of the season, signifying the team's Most Valuable Player

His final season at Oregon State, Ricci posted nearly identical statistics to his junior season, averaging a consistent 16.4 points on a 52.8 shooting percentage from the field and 7.6 rebounds. And again, Ricci was honored with the Ralph Miller Award recipient for the second consecutive season. He was named to the All-Pacific 10 Conference first team in 2002.

Prior to the start of the 2003-04 National Basketball Association season, Ricci was a member of the Sacramento Kings. After he was cut, he was signed by the Huntsville Flight of the NBA Development League. He led scored a team-leading 632 points. Shortly after he opted to play overseas. He played for BAXI Manresa, a professional basketball club based in Manresa, Spain for two seasons; then spent a season with Le Mans Sarthe Basket, a French basketball club based in the city of Le Mans, and Ironi Nahariya, a professional basketball club based in city of Nahariya in northern Israel. From 2010 until 2014, he played for the Toyota Alvark of the National Basketball League. Overall, he played in Japan for 13 seasons.

After retiring from playing, he spent time with the Sacramento Kings as a player development coach and an assistant to the team's G-League team.

John Cosentino, head coach of Southwestern College for 30 years, has been selected for the California Community Colleges Men's Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Cosentino coached at every level, beginning as a high school coach in 1970. In 1984, he helped the University of San Diego to its first conference championship and its first NCAA post-season appearance. Prior to Cosentino 's appointment to the Torero staff, he was a successful varsity basketball, football and baseball coach at University High School in San Diego. He was also the freshman coach at United States International University and an assistant at the University of San Francisco from 1984 to 1989.

He eventually became Southwestern's head coach in 1989. He was a member of the CCCMBCA for 30 years, serving as the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference's representative for a number of years. He concluded his career with a 569-324 record, winner of 11 conference championships and making the postseason in 22 of his 30 years with the Jaguars. Twice, he led a Southwestern team to the state finals, and finished with a career post-record of 51-22. He was a nine-time conference coach of the year, and three times named the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference Coach of the Year for all sports. 

He coached nine conference players of the year, including his son, Anthony, who won the award twice. Over 20 of his former players earned Division I scholarships, while another 60 received various other levels of scholarship. Twenty players went on to play professionally.

Prior to becoming a successful coach, Cosentino, a native of San Diego, was a stellar athlete, earning all-county honors in football and basketball. In his senior year, he captained University High School to a California interscholastic Federation basketball championship, earning player of the year honors. After lettering in football and basketball at San Diego Mesa College, Cosentino earned a scholarship to Adams State before transferring to San Diego State University. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Science and a minor in English from San Diego State in 1970. He also earned a master's degree in education from Azusa Pacific College.

(Robert Schmidt, CCCMBCA)