CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — Parkland head men’s basketball coach John Bowler saw a special buy-in to the values of team culture, something that can be a rarity at a JUCO, leading to Parkland’s 33-3 season and a runner-up finish at nationals.

“It’s always hard to have at this level and when you’re early on in the season and jamborees and things like that, everybody’s looking to get recruited and there’s a lot of college coaches in the building,” Bowler said. “I think buying into each other helped us kind of steer the ship in the right direction.”

“I mean, we’ve clicked pretty good since like the beginning of the year,” sophomore guard JaMonte Williams said. “We had guys that were hanging out of the gym and the sophomores were already close from last year, and also so I think the freshmen saw that, and then they got closer.”

The Cobras narrowly lost the national title game to Kirkwood in Danville, feeling the love from Parkland fans throughout the biggest games of the season.

“Seeing that kind of community in that last game, I’ve had countless Division One, Division Two, NAIA coaches that were calling about our guys, and one of the things they said that it really stood out how much support we had, and I think that means a lot, that’s special,” Bowler said.

Preparations for next year are already underway for Bowler, but he said the increased exposure brought by the postseason run can be a recruiting boost. Bowler hopes to find the next group of team-first guys.

“I think everybody wants to be a part of something bigger and some winning… We’ve just got to find out who fits us most,” Bowler said.

And graduating sophomores like Drew Lewis Jr. are confident he can build on this season’s success.

“It’s going to keep going. If he’s here, he’s going to win. He’s going to find a way to win, that’s what he does so, I feel like it will be pretty successful,” Lewis Jr. said.