It’d be easy to assume this season was more important to Marcus Tibbs than any of his fellow Bellevue College teammates.

After all for Tibbs, who scored 15.6 points per game for Decatur High School of Federal Way last season, this year could be about finding another shot to play Division I basketball, a chance that was lost this year with academic issues.

Not the case, says Tibbs, who was being recruited by Montana, Montana State and Portland State, among others, in his final year at Decatur.

“I just want to win a championship,” Tibbs said this week during a Bulldogs practice. “I mean, having a good season is important, but its important to everybody else too.”

At 12-5 and 5-3 in division play, Bellevue College sits at third in the North Division. For Tibbs, who is averaging 8.9 points per game off the bench for the Bulldogs, a successful season means a shot at Division I basketball. An NWAACC Championship could help his cause.

“There are a lot of expectations for Marcus,” said Bulldogs coach Jeremy Eggers. “He’s got to earn his scholarships all over again…but he’s a great leader with a great personality. He’s been a leader here since day one.”

Tibbs’ play is one reason why the Bulldogs hope to be in contention come NWAACC tournament time, with a very different looking squad than last season.

Last year, BC started the same five players all 35 games. This year, Eggers said, the lineup has changed almost every other game.

“I don’t know if we’re as mentally focused this year as we have been in the past,” he said. “But we’ve got a balanced squad.”

Leading the team in scoring is former Issaquah standout Matt Lapasin, a sophomore averaging over over 14 points per game. Also chipping in is freshman Cedric Clarington, averaging over 11 points per game after a strong career at Cleveland High School.

“Matt and Cedric have just been solid for us,” Eggers said. “Neither one of them says ‘boo’ and they’ve just played their tails off.”

Also scoring big points is David Maddock, a 6-foot-2 25-year-old sophomore from Rainier Beach High School. Maddock, who last played at Northwest Indian College, has been deadly from the perimeter for the Bulldogs, shooting 49 percent from three-point range. The sophomore led the Bulldogs with 15 points and three three-pointers in Wednesday night’s 80-69 win over Edmonds.

“Being a guard on this team is so much fun,” said sophomore captain Jordan Starr, a Davis (Yakima) grad averaging 11 points per game. “You pass out to Dave, he knocks them down. You pass it to Matt, he can hit a jumpshot. It’s so much fun on this team.”

One thing that isn’t fun obviously is losing – and the Bulldogs are looking to avoid losing three home games for the first time in a season. They’ve already lost two – and they host division-leading Shoreline (13-3, 7-1) Saturday at 6 p.m.

“You can’t look forward or past anybody,” Starr said. “There’s a lot of talent in this league and everybody can get beat.”

But it’s the collection of talent the Bulldogs sport that has the team excited for tournament time – and a shot at an NWAACC title.

“Everyone on this team can score 20 a night,” Tibbs said.

“We haven’t reached our peak, and that’s a scary thing,” Starr added. “When we reach our peak, we can go really far.”