Very few high school basketball players start with San Diego City College as their first choice when they are shopping for a future home.

“I had no idea about City College at all until the last minute,” said Logan Huston, who was headed to San Jose State out of Torrey Pines High School three years ago when his walk-on deal collapsed at the last second.

“I was completely oblivious, to be honest. When I was scrambling at the last second to find a place to play, a couple of my friends suggested I look into San Diego City College. Great advice.”

Huston is not alone.

Although Kenny Gonzalez knew about San Diego City when he was coming out of Mater Dei Catholic High School, he accepted an offer to join the NCAA Division II program at William Jessup University in Rocklin. A semester later, Gonzalez was back home and enrolled at San Diego City.

“We’re not always the first choice, but we can be the best choice,” said Knights head coach Mitch Charlens, who has turned an inner-city campus on the northeast edge of downtown San Diego into a perennial power among California community college men’s basketball programs.

This year’s men’s basketball team is 13-4, ranked ninth in the state and tied for first in the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference.

But the program’s history under Charlens is even richer.

The Knights won their first state championship under Charlens in 2017 and returned to the championship game a season later, completing a two-year run in which they went 64-8. Last year, San Diego City won its eighth PCAC title since 2005.

Charlens is San Diego City’s all-time leader with 388 wins between two stints at the school; he spent the 2021-22 season as an assistant at the University of San Diego. Ten of his players have won all-state honors and 15 have eventually played professionally.

“San Diego City College is strong now because of what Coach Mitch has done in the past,” said Huston. “Once I started studying my options out of high school, I started thinking, ‘Why didn’t I see this sooner?’

“This is a great place to take that next step.”

But it’s a big step. Charlens is a demanding coach. His is not the run-and-shoot style of basketball many believe two-year colleges to be.

“It begins on defense,” Charlens says. “I coach these kids hard. I talk to individuals in front of the whole group. They’re not wondering who is running the program.”

The goal is not just to win games. It is also to prepare Knights players for the next level. Three players from last season’s team are starting for Division I programs. Five more are starters on Division II teams.

Within the past few weeks alone, Alex Crawford scored 21 points for Fresno State. Al Green scored 18 for Louisiana Tech. And Kjay Bradley Jr., USD’s top scorer, put up 21 points against Gonzaga.

“I let our current players know what our former players are doing,” Charlens said. “Set goals. Make this a stop. Move on and up. And represent us.”

And former Knights don’t forget. Recently, five members of past Charlens teams showed up for a game at Harry West Gym. They met with the current Knights in the locker room after the game.

“The program is like a family,” said Kenny Gonzalez. “The five alumni who came to our game talked about what they had learned at City College and how it carried over into their futures both on and off the court.”

Said Huston: “The players change, but the approach doesn’t. Former players let us know what we’re doing now is what made their teams successful.”

It wasn’t always that way. When Charlens first arrived at San Diego City College two decades ago, the Knights did not have their own gym. Home games were played at San Diego High School. And like many inner-city community colleges, San Diego City didn’t have the amenities or reputation of its rivals in the suburbs.

“We focused on the positives,” Charlens said. “Today, it’s more like an urban university feel on campus. And the players trusted me, which led to us building. It took a few of those guys to get it rolling. We’ve been fortunate to have good athletes come in who have moved on to four-year programs.”

One of the more important players in the process was Malcolm Thomas, who became a starter at San Diego State after starting his career at San Diego City.

“He was the guy who was the first big athlete,” said Charlens. “When he got here, Malcolm didn’t understand how a two-year program worked. By the time he left, he was a key to our progress.”

The 2024-2025 team is not as experienced as most of Charlens’ first 18 squads. But the Knights, who have won six straight games, lead the state in team defense (61.9 points a game allowed). Huston leads the team with 14.2 points per game; Kenny Gonzalez adds 12.9 points per game and Marley Gonzalez averages 9.9.

Huston, a 6-foot-3 sophomore, finds his style of play is perfectly suited to Charlens’ system.

“One of the first things I learned was having defense as a calling card,” Huston said. “My defense comes first. My offense takes care of itself from there.”

The Knights’ uptempo game also makes physical demands on players, leading Charlens to use eight-and-nine-man rotation rotations.

“You’re asked to give all you have for as long as you are in there,” said Huston.

Another thing Charlens stresses is letting each player “do what he’s best at.”

Kenny Gonzalez’s best shot is the mid-range jumper that has all but disappeared from the modern game. Marley Gonzalez’s forte at 6-foot-8 and 250 pounds is moving and passing the ball from the low and high post.

“Marley has excellent ball skills for his size,” said Charlens. “Kenny is strong as an ox and a great defender as a point guard. We find ways to take care of everyone’s individual skills.”

“Personally, I love playing for a demanding coach,” said Kenny Gonzalez. “Coach Charlens cares. He wants the best for each of us as well as the team.”

Every week, U-T contributor Bill Center highlights one San Diego college team that’s making strides on and off the field. To nominate a team, email wcenter27@gmail.com.