Take a first glance at Lance Coleman II and Maceo Coleman and you’ll instantly recognize they share a resemblance to one another. Take a deeper look and you’ll recognize their resemblance is not the only thing they share. Both are motivated, both are positive, and both are making great strides and achievements at Fullerton College, each with uniquely different talents.
Standing side by side with one another, the 6’2” brothers, who arrived at Fullerton College in 2017 by way of the bay area were unsure what awaited them in Southern California but had faith they would find their way. Today, the Coleman brothers are finding more than just their way; the two are creating momentum and excitement – one on the basketball court and the other in competitive speech, as they both hit record achievements in those areas.
Lance Coleman II, the older of the two siblings, found his passion for basketball as soon as he could walk, he said, and has been perfecting the sport ever since. During an Orange Empire Conference game against Orange Coast College on Jan. 30, Coleman II scored a game high of 40 points, taking the team’s win over the Pirates and tying him for the No. 9 spot on the Hornet All-Time scoring list, a feat that has not been done since the 1993-94 season. Following that game, he continued his hot-streak scoring another game-high 30 points in a game against Santiago Canyon College and another 20 points in the game thereafter.
“[Lance] has been a great student, player and ambassador for our program since the first day he stepped on campus last fall,” said head basketball coach Perry Webster. “On the court he’s one of the best players in the state, but you would never know from his demeanor. He is humble and always portrays himself in a positive light.”
Positive is right. His brother, Maceo Coleman, couldn’t agree more with this statement. Coleman said his brother Lance was one of the main reasons he choose to attend Fullerton College after graduating from Heritage High School in San Francisco.
As a transfer from Irvine Valley College, Coleman II says he found encouragement and support with his teammates and with his coaches, professors and staff who have all made an effort to show that they care.
“I really like the culture we have at Fullerton College,” Coleman II said. “We’re like a family here and I like that the teachers try to form real connections with their students.”
Maceo Coleman shared similar thoughts during an interview in the fall of 2018, which was featured as a student spotlight. In that interview he shared some of the challenges he encountered as a new student and how he found a home with Speech and Debate thanks to some of his professors and speech coaches.
“My communications professor Toni Nielson has played a major role of why I am where I am today,” he said. “When I got here, I didn’t know anybody except my brother. With Speech and Debate, it gave me friends, a family.”
Coleman connected with the Speech and Debate team after attending a tournament as an extra credit opportunity for his public speaking course during his first semester. The tournament piqued his interest and compelled him to join where he discovered a talent for competitive speech. Since that time, he’s been leading the Hornet Speech and Debate team with several impressive wins.
During the fall, Coleman finished second place in open communication analysis at the Pacific Southwest Collegiate Forensics Association (PSCFA) Fall Championship, besting competitors from the University of Utah, Biola, Cal Baptist, and Northern Arizona University with his afrofuturism Black Panther speech.
Over winter break, Coleman finished fifth place in an event known as After Dinner Speaking at the Close to the Coast tournament at Orange Coast College, where students attempt to persuade audiences on important social and political topics using jokes and humor. In this particular event, he advanced to a varsity final round, defeating competitors from schools such as College of the Canyons, Concordia University, and George Mason University.
The Coleman brothers both said they couldn’t be this successful without the help of their professors, coaches, mom and dad, friends and teammates they’ve made since moving to Southern California.
Both are studying communications and planning to transfer to a 4-year university in the fall. Lance is looking at CSU Northridge and University of Hawaii to continue playing basketball, and Maceo has been accepted to Grand Canyon University and San Francisco State University but still undecided on where he will attend.
“Maceo and Lance are a terrific pair; they are really helping each other succeed in college while each having totally unique talents,” said Toni Nielson, Assistant Professor, Speech and Debate Coach.
