On Nov. 1, 2021, Arizona Western men’s basketball entered a new era.

A little over six months prior, longtime assistant coach Kyle Isaacs was elevated to the role of head coach, tasked with leading the program into the future with expectations of success and carrying on its legacy.

The Matadors’ first challenge under Isaacs came in the form of Palo Verde College, and the first 10 minutes of that Nov. 1 game were certainly eye-opening for the rookie head coach.

“I was a deer in headlights, I think we all were,” Isaacs reflected. “(PVC) came out and took the lead and kind of started pounding on us. They hit a bunch of threes and went up by double digits. We kind of just pedaled back and weathered the storm.”

The Matadors came back to win in Isaacs’ debut, taking a 91-72 victory.

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