Czepil building Australian red hot 'Hornets' nest

• Michael Czepil appointed interim head coach for Sacramento State's 2024-25 season
• Led Hornets to improved performance in Big Sky Conference during 2022-24 tenure
• Brings 14 years of collegiate, international, and professional coaching experience

Australian Michael Czepil (pronounced Zeh-pull) is the interim head coach for Sacramento State's basketball program for the 2024-25 season, following two successful years as associate head coach.

Czepil is heavily recruiting Australian junior talent to the Hornets.

• Alex Kovatchev — Guard: 1.96m, 86 kg, Sophomore, Perth, Australia
• Bailey Nunn — Guard, 1.83m, 72 kg, Sophomore, Melbourne, Australia
• Bowyn Beatty — Forward, 2.13m, 102 kg, Sophomore, Canberra, Australia
• Deonte Williams — Guard, 1.98m, 95 kg, Junior, Sydney, Australia
• Lachlan Brewer — Guard, 1.98m, 86 kg, Freshman, Launceston, Australia

Building on Success

Under Czepil's guidance as associate head coach, Sacramento State has seen significant improvements in their performance. The 2022-23 season marked a turning point for the Hornets, with 14 wins representing the most by a first-year coaching staff in the program's Division I era. This success continued into the 2023-24 season, where the team made their first-ever semifinal appearance at the Big Sky Tournament since joining the league in 1996.

Czepil's influence has been particularly evident in the team's defensive and rebounding prowess. The Hornets have led the Big Sky in rebounding margin for two consecutive seasons, ranking 22nd nationally with a +6.4 margin in 2023-24 and 18th with a +6.0 in 2022-23. Additionally, Sacramento State has consistently finished third in the league for scoring defense during Czepil's tenure.

"Our focus on defense and rebounding has been a cornerstone of our strategy," Czepil stated. "We promised to emphasise these areas, and the team has delivered consistently."

International Experience and Recruiting Acumen

Prior to joining Sacramento State, Czepil honed his skills at UC Riverside, where he was part of the coaching staff that led the program to its best three-year run in its Division I history. His international experience includes a stint as assistant coach for the U18 Australian National Team, where he was responsible for the defensive game plan that helped the team achieve its best-ever finish in the Albert Schweitzer Tournament.

Australian Players at Sacramento State

Alex Kovatchev — Hornets Profile

Alex Kovatchev is a Sophomore (2nd year) guard from Perth, Western Australia.

2023-24 Season

• Played in 33 games as a true freshman, including 12 starts
• Averaged 5.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 22.8 minutes pe game
• Hornets’ fifth best rebounder despite being a guard
• Season-high 15 points vs. Pacific Union
• Scored in double figures three times
• Buried 32 3-pointers in 33 games played
• Had five points and six rebounds in the Hornets Big Sky Tourney semifinal vs. Montana State
• Had seven points and nine rebounds in a road win at Montana State
• Had 11 points in the regular season finale vs. Eastern Washington
• Part of a Hornet crop of freshmen that accounted for 40% of the team’s minutes during the season
  

Prior to Sacramento State

• Played for Western Australia at both the U18 and U20 Australian Junior National Championships
• Helped Western Australia to the national championship at both those tournaments
• At the U20 National Championships, which took place in February of 2023, he averaged 14.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game on 48% shooting from the field
• During the eight-game tournament, he scored 20+ points on three occasions
• That includes 20 points (9-of-14 FG), six rebounds and three assists in the team’s final game of the tourney
• Played for the Australian Centre of Excellence in the NBL1 East in 2022‍
• Attended high school at Woodvale Secondary College in Perth

Bailey Nunn — Hornets Profile

Bailey Nunn is Sophomore (2nd year) guard from Melbourne.

‍2023-24 Season

• Played in 29 games as a true freshman, averaging 4.2 points, 1.8 assists and 13.5 minutes per game
• Over the final seven games of the season, Nunn was the team’s fourth leading scorer
• During those seven games, he averaged 9.1 points, 2.7 assists and 19.8 minutes while shooting 55% (21-38) from the field and 48% (12-25) from the 3-point line
• Averaged 10.3 points on 50% shooting (10-20) from the field at the Big Sky Tournament
• Scored in double figures in three of the final five games of the season
• In the Hornets’ two Big Sky Tourney wins, he was a +14 plus/minus vs. Eastern Washington, and +15 vs. Idaho
• Season-high tying 14 points in Big Sky Tourney first round win over Idaho
• Hornets were 3-0 when he scored in double figures
• Buried at least one 3-pointer in each of his final seven games
  

Prior to Sacramento State

• Played two years (2022-23) of pro ball for the Knox Raiders of the Australian NBL1 South League
• During the 2023 season, in 14 games with the Raiders, he averaged 9.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 31.1 minutes per game
• Played for Victoria at the 2023 U20 Australian National Championships, where he averaged 12.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.9 steals and 24.1 minutes per game. Shot 47% (18-for-38) from the 3-point line
• In his first season with the Knox Raiders in 2022, Nunn played in 18 games, averaging 6.4 points and 16.2 minutes per game. Shot 40% from the 3-point line.
• Also Played for Victoria at the U20 Australian National Championships in 2022
• A 2022 graduate of Haileybury (high school) in Melbourne
• As a senior, he led the Bloods to a league championship and was the team captain while averaging 25.2 points and 10.1 assists per game
• During his junior year, he averaged 21.0 points and 7.4 assists per game
• Averaged at least 16 points every year of high school (team did not play during his sophomore year because of the pandemic)‍

Bowyn Beatty — Hornets Profile

Bowyn Beatty is a Sophomore (2nd year) forward from Canberra, ACT

2023-24 Season

• Played in all 34 games as a true freshman, including 14 starts
• Started each of the final 14 games of the season
• Averaged 4.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 17.5 minutes per game
• Shot 35% (7-20) from the 3-point line, burying a 3-ball in five of the final seven games of the year
• Pulled at least four rebounds in 17 of the final 18 games of the seaso
• During the Hornets’ three games at the Big Sky Tournament, he averaged 7.7 points, a team-high 7.7 rebounds, and 3.0 offensive rebounds per game
• Of his 23 rebounds at the Big Sky Tournament, nine came on the offensive glass
• Tied his season high with 10 points to go with seven rebounds in the Hornets’ Big Sky Tournament semifinal game vs. Montana State
• Had at least seven rebounds in all three Big Sky Tournament games
• Had 10 points at Stanford on 3-4 FG and 4-6 FT
• Was a finalist for Big Sky Freshman of the Year
  

Prior to Sacramento State

• Played for the NBA Global Academy/Centre of Excellence - an elite basketball training center in Canberra, Australia - from 2021-23
• Joins Kiir Kiir Chol Deng as two Hornets to have played for the NBA Global Academy in Australia
• The NBA Global Academy is the NBA’s hub for top players outside the United States
• In July of 2022, Beatty traveled with the team to participate in the NBA Academy Games in Atlanta where they finished as the tournament runner-up
• In the semifinals, he had 10 points, eight rebounds and two assists to help NBA Global Academy reach the title game
• Has played for the Australian Junior National Team since 2019 when he was a 15-year old
• Won a bronze medal with Basketball ACT at the U18 Australian National Championships in 2021
• Son of Tracey and Glenn Peacock
• Mother, Tracey, played 17 years in the WNBL where she won five championships. The 203cm centre is third in league history in blocks (444) and 10th in games played (347)
• Tracey also played 80 games for the Australian Opals

‍Deonte Williams — Hornets Profile

Deonte Williams is a Junior (3rd year) guard from Sydney, NSW

Prior to Sacramento State

• Played two seasons (2022-24) at South Georgia Tech College of the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association (GCAA)
• As a sophomore in 2023-24, Williams was named first team all-conference, GCAA Defensive Player of the Year, GCAA all-tournament, GCAA all-academic, and two-time GCAA Player of the Wee
• Helped the Jets to an 18-12 overall record, 11-5 in league, and NJCAA Region XVII quarterfinal appearance
• Started 27 games, and finished with averages of 14.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.2 steals while shooting 51% (150-292) from the field
• Also averaged 6.2 trips to the free throw line per game, and scored in double figures 21 times
• As a freshman (2022-23), he averaged 9.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.2 steals while shooting 51% (69-135) from the field in 19 games (nine starts)‍‍
• A 2022 graduate of Trinity Grammar School in Sydney, Australia
• As a senior at Trinity, he was named first team all-CAS, and selected to the NSW Under-20 State Team after averaging 20.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game
• Helped guide Trinity to a CAS championship in 2021, the school’s first in four years
  

Lachlan Brewer — Hornets Profile

Lachlan Brewer is a Freshman (1st year) guard from Launceston, Tasmania.

High School

• A 2023 graduate of Riverside High School in Tasmania, Australia
• Won a gold medal with Australia at the FIBA U16 Asian Championships in 2022
• Also played for Australia at the FIBA U17 World Cup in Span (2022), where they placed sixth
• Won a bronze medal with Tasmania at the U18 Australian National Championships
• In 2023, while playing for Tasmania at the U20 Australian National Championships, he averaged 20.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game
• Also played for Northwest Tasmania of the NBL1 South Conference
• Named the Sportsperson of the Year during his junior and senior years of high school
• Recipient of High Academic Achievement Award during his freshman and sophomore years of high school

Looking Ahead to 2024-25

As Czepil steps into the role of interim head coach, expectations are high for the upcoming season. With a track record of developing young talent—Sacramento State was one of only four Division I teams to give freshmen over 40% of total playing minutes last season — Czepil is well-positioned to continue the program's upward trajectory.

"We've laid a strong foundation over the past two years," Czepil said.

"I'm excited to build on that success and push our program to new heights in the coming season."

With the 2024-25 season on the horizon, all eyes will be on Czepil and the Hornets as they aim to make their mark in the Big Sky Conference.