Hall of Fame
In 1984 there were approximately 800 Junior College Basketball Teams in the United States that were eligible to win a National Championship. That year, Westchester would advance all the way to the "Final Four" in Kansas where they lost a close game to the Texas team that would eventually win the National Tournament. After that loss, WCC responded with an overtime victory over the North Carolina team to clinch a third-place finish, ending their phenomenal season with a record of 36-2. In the Tournament, Westchester also defeated teams from Illinois and Arizona.
Leading the team was point guard Wendell Owens, a First Team All-American, who averaged 25 points per game. His backcourt partner, Alex Agudio, gave the Vikings a super 1-2 punch that was so talented that both players were chosen to participate in Pre-Olympic Basketball Trials in Colorado Springs,CO later that spring.
Rodney Abrams, Jeff Harris, and Keith Malone rounded out the starting five. Abrams was the top defensive player on the team and also the best all around athlete. Harris has often been called one of the best pure shooters to ever play at WCC. Malone used his 6'6", 220-pound frame to physically dominate the boards as the team's leading rebounder.
Bruce Boone, Rudy Outlaw, Ricky Stanley, Ed Johnson and Chuck Innis provided the team with a strong bench that helped win a lot of key games that season.
Assistant Coach Winston Nicholas deserved a great deal of credit for the team's improvement and development. Head Coach Ralph Arietta was also voted NJCAA Coach of the Year.
