As they prepare to face a tough schedule in one of the most competitive intercollegiate regions in the country, Delaware County Community College men’s basketball Head Coach Dwayne Saunders feels good about his 2024-2025 squad.

The DCCC Phantoms men’s basketball team features several former high school stars, including quick Darrius Best of Eastern Wayne High School in Goldsboro, N.C.; savvy guard Jabree Martin of Wilmington’s Great Oaks Charter School;  and “tough as nails” Omar Davis and Tahmier Manning of Philadelphia’s Overbrook High School. A returning player who is expected to play an integral role on the team is Anjillo Alicea.

Saunders says he has high expectations for his current roster. “This is a highly committed group of student-athletes, and I am excited about their potential,” he said. “Our goal is to get better one practice at a time and allow the chips to fall where they may.”

Delaware County native Saunders is in his second consecutive year in a role he also held from 2010-2013, when he posted a 55-22 overall win-loss record and the team won the 2011-2012 Eastern Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference (EPCC) Championship. Named EPCC Coach of the Year that season, Saunders led the team to a 24-2 mark and the College’s first EPCC title since 1996.

The DCCC Phantoms will compete in Eastern Pennsylvania Athletic Conference Region 19, which is made up of 26 teams from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. It is considered one of the most competitive regions in the nation at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division III level.

The Phantoms’ home games will be played at FiDonce Gymnasium, the site of the former St. James High School (215 E 21st St., Chester). It is less than 20 minutes from the College’s Marple Campus in Media, and Saunders encourages fans to come out and support the players. The team will open its season on Nov. 4 at 7:00 PM at Lehigh Carbon Community College. The home opener is Nov. 14 at 7:00 PM vs. Williamson College of the Trades.

Learn more at DCCC. Delaware County Community College’s intercollegiate athletics programs offer outstanding opportunities for competitive student-athletes to build their academic and athletic careers. Last spring, six DCCC student-athletes qualified for the 2024 NJCAA DIII Outdoor National Track and Field Championships. The College’s athletic director is Allyson Gleason.