SAN FRANCISCO — The 2014-15 Academy of Art University men's basketball season cannot be measured simply by wins and losses, though there are a few significant ones that defined the year – and years to come – for the program.
 
The second winningest season in program history (7-19, 5-20 Pacific West Conference) and team records in 3-pointers made (148) and steals (211) were just a slice of the season's representation. So was one of the program's toughest-ever schedules (six top-25 teams). The Urban Knights had 15 games decided by 10 points or less, making more than half the games on their calendar exciting, competitive barn-burners.
 
"There's no doubt that the (Pacific West Conference) was one of the top conferences this year," said Academy of Art head coach Julius Barnes. "I knew teams would be good, but I don't know that anyone could've predicted the success that the conference enjoyed this year. Adding a great Concordia [Calif.] program will make it even more competitive, which is also a plus for the conference."
 
And what made 14-15 even more impressive, as well as what lies ahead for ART U, was the anchoring of only two seniors. Guards Aaron Anderson and Alexis Moore left indelible marks on the program both with their leadership and their numbers, all the while showing the roster's six underclassmen what playing like and being an Urban Knight really means.
 
The Urban Knights' first win over a ranked team, on the road no less, to open the season on Nov. 14 was a sign of the program's growth and potential for the next 25 games and beyond. ART U defeated then-No. 22 Seattle Pacific on the Falcons' home floor to start the year 1-0 with a flourish. It was the first time the Urban Knights had beaten the Falcons in four tries, their first road win since the 2012-13 season and it was only the fifth time that SPU had lost at home in four years.
 
That momentum nearly carried ART U to a season-opening tournament title the next night, but it fell to Central Washington in its first of nine close losses during the year on a last-second bucket. The performance in SPU's Sodexo Classic earned Moore the first of eight PacWest weekly awards for Academy of Art. The Urban Knights would go on to earn weekly awards in seven different weeks, winning each award (Player of the Week, Defensive Player of the Week, Freshman of the Week) at least once.
 
"We started this year with seven guys that hadn't played a single minute for the program," said Barnes. "Needless to say, it was a year of growth and learning. There were definitely some bumps in the road, but as the season progressed, guys started to figure out that if we played together and executed the game plan, it gave us a chance to be competitive and have a puncher's chance to win a few games."
 
November closed with three more close losses by 10 points or less and also included a record-setting offensive display in a 107-94 win over Simon Fraser. ART U moved back to .500 (2-2) by setting single-game program records in field goals made (40) and rebounds (58) and holding the explosive SFU offense to under 100 points for the first time at that point in the season.
 
The winning continued in December as the Urban Knights opened PacWest play with a 69-63 victory at Notre Dame de Namur. That's when freshman guard Uchenna Okeneme announced his presence, scoring a season-high 21 points with a perfect 7-for-7 shooting performance and four free throws in the final 13 seconds to clinch the win.
 
The energy from starting the conference season 1-0 was still palpable 10 days later at Kezar Pavilion when Academy of Art hosted No. 16-ranked California Baptist. The Knights strived to move to 2-0 on the season against top-25 teams, but two separate buzzer-beaters – one in regulation and another in overtime – would save the Lancers in a 76-74 OT win. The statement was made though – Academy of Art University was here to compete.
 
The California Baptist defeat was the first in a seven-game losing streak that stretched into January and included three close defeats by 10 points or less. The streak came to an end in yet another thrilling way to kick off a five-game homestand. Chaminade visited Kezar Pavilion on Jan. 19 having defeated the Urban Knights 11 times out of 11 tries. But Junior guard Nick Cary put that streak to an end with a dagger at the buzzer, giving ART U its own buzzer-beating victory, 76-73.
 
Wins in three of four games in February, including the program's first-ever victory over Fresno Pacific and a dominating win over NDNU on Senior Night, built momentum for the Knights' season-ending trip to Hawaii. There, ART U battled with University of Hawaii at Hilo and Chaminade in a rematch but came away empty-handed; a lack of results that surely gave hunger to the nine returning players for next season.
 
"This season was a year of learning and growth," said Barnes. "Although faced with many challenges, I'm extremely proud of the guys for their hard work, commitment and ability to work through adverse situations. They were able to do what no team in the history of the program has done by beating a ranked Seattle Pacific, Chaminade and Fresno Pacific.
 
"Being able to compete against some of the better teams in the region on a nightly basis will only help us in our efforts to grow this program and ultimately challenge for a spot in the conference tournament and a berth in the NCAA tournament."
 
Moore and Anderson graduate having been a part of the winningest four-year stretch in Academy of Art men's basketball history. The veterans finished their Academy of Art careers ranked second and fourth, respectively, in career scoring, second and third in career rebounds, second and fourth in career assists and first and third in career steals.
 
"Only a handful of guys have started and finished their careers here at the Academy and Aaron is one of them," said Barnes. "To be able to watch him grown and develop into the person and player that he's become has been simply amazing. He established himself as a guy that would do anything to help his team and will always be remembered for his selflessness and commitment to the program.
 
"Alexis could possibly go down as one of the best guards to play at ART U," added Barnes. "He never lacked confidence and you could sense that when you watched him play. He could score, create for others and also defend. Lex has a bright future ahead of him, whether it be playing professionally abroad or working in broadcasting."
 
The Urban Knights have plenty to look forward to in 2015-16 thanks to the returns of underclassmen Herman Pratt IV, the only player to start all 26 games and the team's second-leading scorer, freshman Jase Harrison, a PacWest Freshman of the Year finalist and winner of four PacWest Freshman of the Week awards, and Okeneme, who won two PacWest Freshman of the Week awards of his own.
 
Junior center Trent Stokes will return after setting a new ART U single-season record for blocks with 40. So will junior forward Yanick Kulich, who was the team's leading scorer with 16.3 points per game before an injury shelved him after just four games. Cary will bring back his 3-point accuracy (36.8 percent) while sophomores Tyler Sabino and Sergio Valdeolmillos, who each made appearances in all 26 games for the Knights, will return rebounding (Sabino, 87) and assists (Valdeolmillos, 26). Freshman guard Marshawn McMahan also brings back valuable experience after playing in 20 games.
 
"While we definitely had our ups and downs this season, but I'm already excited about next season," said Barnes. "We have a great group returning with a year of experience under their belts. Yanick will be back from injury and I'm sure he'll be ready to go. We'll also look to add key recruits, who will help us get over the hump and contend for a spot in the next year's conference tourney."