Bio

It was a simple time when small-town heros played under dingy yellow lights to a sold out crowd. It was this team that transformed Riverside into a basketball Mecca. It was a team that could not be defeated. They owned a crafty offense mixed with a stout defense. Prior to the start of the 1961-62 season, RCC brought in a sharp-witted young coach from Redlands High School to take over a struggling men’s basketball program. That man was the legendary Head Coach Jerry Tarkanian. After enduring a 13-14 season in his first year, Tarkanian led the Tigers to an undefeated season en route to the program’s first State Championship in 1964. The team went 35-0 after being the top-ranked team in California according to the JC Gridwire poll. Noted as the most impressive season in junior college basketball history, the Tigers lived up to the outside influence’s wildest expectations of sweeping conference play. They went on to earn a championship crown after defeating Allan Hancock College in the championship game by the final score of 78-71. Leading up to their triumph, they strung together an improbable run that featured buzzer-beating victories and dominating performances. Bob Rule and Randy Hoxie captured All-Tournament honors while Rule was named the Most Valuable Player of the state tournament as the top scorer with 27 points and 12 rebounds.