The Moorpark Raiders men’s basketball team has been gearing up for the 2022-2023 basketball season.

On Nov. 3, the team faced off against Fullerton College as their season opener. Fullerton College’s men’s basketball team is nationally ranked, and the Raiders ended up losing their first game 117-90.

The Raiders will open up their home court today, Nov. 9, at 2 p.m. against Los Angeles Valley Trade Tech. With this being the first home game for the Raiders basketball team, the team’s energy will likely be high as they use the home court to their advantage.

Last season, the Raiders had a record of 13-15 overall, and a record of 6-3 at home.

This season will stretch from early November into mid-February. The roster is filled with fresh faces, as 13 of the 16 players are first-year students. This young team is embarking on a journey to prove themselves as they play their first college basketball games.

The sophomore returners are Angel Hammer, Ben Condra and Justin Stanziono. With only three sophomores on the team, the pressure is on to lead the young team to a victorious season.

Head Coach Keith Higgins is beginning his third season as Moorpark’s lead basketball coach, and he said looks to establish a winning narrative with his young team.

“This team is going to give 100%, their effort is absolutely amazing,” Higgins said. “You are going to be impressed with how hard we work.”

Out of the 28 games the men’s basketball team has this season, 16 of the teams they are playing against are nationally ranked. Higgins spoke about the upcoming schedule of his team.

“It is definitely going to be a fight for us, and a nice journey for us as the season gets underway quickly,” Higgins said.

As football season closes and basketball season opens up, eyes will shift to the men’s basketball team as they look to continue the momentum that the Moorpark College sports teams have been pushing this school year.

To view the full Raiders men’s basketball schedule, click here.