Pacheco not thinking retirement, focused on solving Whitney press

With players buzzing about his court and different strategies taking shape on his whiteboard, Davis High School coach Dan Pacheco hardly looks like a guy ready for retirement.

But he is.

One of the winningest boys basketball coaches in Stanislaus District history will call it quits after the season’s end to spend more time with his family and travel the world.

Key words: After the season’s end.

Davis still has one date left on its calendar with the potential for more.

The Spartans (16-9) will travel to Whitney of Rocklin (22-5) on Wednesday for the start of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II tournament.

As the No. 13 seed, Davis will be the decided underdog against the fourth-seeded Wildcats, who have pressed their opposition into submission this season. Whitney is averaging 73.6 points, relying on a fullcourt press to create easy points. That style of play has kept Pacheco busy, even as retirement beckons.

“For me, I’m very focused,” Pacheco said. “The kids have worked really hard, and they’re going to give it their best shot. That’s all I can ask for. Let’s play hard, battle and see where the chips fall.”

Pacheco has tried to re-create the Wildcats’ press by incorporating six and seven defenders in his drills, harassing his guards at every opportunity.

Davis will use a three-guard rotation consisting of seniors Nico Salazar and Wilber Villanueva and sophomore Brandon Gray. Senior forward Talolo Limu-Jones, who has committed to the Eastern Washington football team, will also step into the backcourt.

The Spartans have struggled with the press. Beyer forced 22 turnovers and burned Davis for a season-high 16 three-pointers in an 84-53 victory Feb. 3.

It was swarming press – not the long-range assault – that tilted the floor in the Patriots’ favor. Davis led 27-22 in the first half when Beyer turned up the heat and peeled away. During a 3-minute, 14-second stretch in the second quarter, the Patriots outscored the Spartans 18-0.

“It’s been one of our weaknesses, but we’ve worked really hard on it,” Pacheco said. “We’ll see if it pays off. The kids are confident. They’re going to play hard, and no matter what, I’m proud of what they’ve done this year.”

If Davis is going to spring the upset, Pacheco knows his team must keep the score in the 60s. Whitney is 18-0 when scoring 70 points or more.

“Four of their five losses have been in the 60s. That tells you what you need to do,” Pacheco said. “It’s all about handling the fullcourt, lets-get-after-it, 40-minutes-of-hell basketball that Arkansas played with. These guys have that same kind of philosophy.”

Pacheco has won 475 career games, many during a 21-year run as the Spartans’ coach.

Davis qualified for the postseason by winning its last two regular-season games, including an emotional 64-55 victory over Enochs in his final home game. The evening began with a tribute to Pacheco, who entered the gym through a human tunnel formed by many of his former players.

His current players have taken notice. Pacheco said the Spartans have played with a “deeper sense of commitment” since the retirement ceremony, as witnessed by the sweat-soaked shirts in practice.

“They want to give it their best shot because that’s all we can do,” he said. “If someone is more talented than you, all you can do is give it your best. We’ve had four great days of practice. Today was a great day of practice. I don’t know if it will translate to the game, but we’ve really gotten after it.”

This story was originally published February 23, 2016 at 5:05 PM with the headline "Pacheco not thinking retirement, focused on solving Whitney press."