Mulligan Makes His Debut Friday at Irvine Valley

The Irvine Valley men’s basketball program and Coach Bill Mulligan make their debut Friday as the community college basketball season opens.

Cypress starts the men’s season today playing Chaffey at 2 p.m. in the first round of the Barstow tournament. Mulligan, who has also coached at Saddleback College and UC Irvine, takes the Lasers to Moorpark Friday for a 7 p.m. nonconference game.

In other nonconference games Friday, Golden West plays at Grossmont at 8 p.m. and Rancho Santiago is at MiraCosta at 7 p.m.

Fullerton opens in the Mt. San Antonio tournament at 8 p.m. Friday against the host team.

Orange Coast, and first-year Coach Tim O’Brien, debut at 3 p.m. Saturday at Southwestern.

On the women’s side, Saddleback opens play first, playing host to Grossmont tonight at 7. On Friday, Orange Coast plays Southwestern at 5 p.m. in the first round of the Chaffey tournament.

In nonconference women’s games Friday: Golden West is at Bakersfield at 3 p.m. and Cypress is at LA Pierce at 5 p.m.

The Cypress game marks the debut of Coach Kevin Kiernan.