We’ve got just over 48 hours left of 2008, so I thought I’d go over my state/juco top 5 stories from 2008. My column on the top story ran in today’s Eagle so I was just waiting until it came out to put this out there. Let me know if you think I left something out. It’s been a pretty fun year for state/juco sports.
Here you go:
ERICA BIEL
Kansas women rule the MIAA.
That is, women’s basketball teams from the state of Kansas rule the MIAA. I don’t know if this is going to cause some sort of blip in the space-time continuum or something … but all four of the Kansas teams in the MIAA are undefeated in league play right now. That’s right — Fort Hays State, Pittsburg State, Emporia State and Washburn — all have perfect marks right now.
Don’t believe me? Check for yourself.
DEANDRE EGGINS
This isn’t going to be about the Washburn women — I think I know how good they are. Ranked No. 2, 10-0 … yeah, you get the picture. They’re nice.
This is about the Washburn men and what I think could be one of the best in the MIAA.
And, just one question before I get into all of this: How are the Ichabods not ranked yet? 7-3 and 3-0 in the MIAA with that schedule? Come on!
TWO REASONS WHY I THINK THE WASHBURN’S MEN’S TEAM IS GOING TO BE PRETTY DARN GOOD AND ONE REASON (IN TWO PARTS) WHY THEY MIGHT NOT:
STEPHEN WILLIAMS
Take a couple of days off to go skiing at the west side Palace resort and everybody forgets you exist…
Bob Lutz wrote a nice column today on the Newman-Friends basketball rivalry, which has ceased to exist in no small part because of Newman’s move to a full-fledged NCAA Division II school. So here’s a question: If Newman can play Bethel, Tabor and Sterling, then why not Friends? Discuss amongst yourselves.
EUGENE KINLAW
This just in — Hutchinson’s Eugene Kinlaw is the NJCAA national defensive player of the year.
Here’s the release from HCC sports honcho Steve Carpenter, and watch for an article in tomorrow’s Eagle on Kinlaw’s big award, the third straight year defensive honors have gone to a Jayhawk Conference player:
MARK POTTER
Newman men’s head basketball coach Mark Potter got his 200th win on Saturday night against York College in Wichita. Potter’s been the face of the Jets since the school resurrected its program 11 years ago, and he was a stud basketball and baseball player there in the mid-1980s (ed. note: any pictures from this era will go directly up on this blog)
Congratulations to Coach Potter, here’s the link to KSN’s Mark Davidson breaking down the game for you:
http://www.ksn.com/sports/36113519.html
And here’s the release from Newman SID Brian Petrotta, who is always on top of things:
CLIFF DIXON
This just in from the HCC athletic department, and it comes as a surprise because he’d been out for so long that it didn’t look like he was coming back. What this means? If Dixon can keep it together the Blue Dragons can consider themselves favorites in the West again. Dixon’s time away amounts to a four-game suspension if he’s allowed to play Saturday night against Central Nebraska, and Hutch doesn’t play again until Dec. 31. The 6-foot-10 post was averaging 15.9 points and 7.1 rebounds before he ran afoul of Coach Ryan Swanson.
Here’s the release (and by not commenting on this any further, did they ever comment on it in the first place?):
HCC MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM REINSTATES CLIFF DIXON
HCC Sports Information
Friday, December 12, 2008
Hutchinson Community College men’s basketball coach Ryan Swanson announced on Friday night that sophomore forward Cliff Dixon (Suitland, MD) will be reinstated to the team for the second semester.
Dixon has been suspended since Nov. 19 for conduct detrimental to the team.
The HCC coaching staff will not comment on this personnel move any further.
GAGE MCKINNIS
All-American football teams are starting to roll in. Two NCAA D-II teams are in with the Daktronics and AFCA both putting out their squads. The NJCAA team is in, too, with three Hutchinson players receiving first-team status. That’s impressive.
One question: How is it possible that Northwest Missouri safety Myles Burnsides is a first-team All-American and the defensive player of the year on the Daktronics team and then doesn’t make the AFCA team? And how is it that the AFCA puts out just one All-American team? No second team? No honorable mentions? What a joke.
I digress.
Big weekend for local small-college hoops with the Jayhawk shootout, the first round of KCAC player of the week picks and the MIAA in full swing … and I know the Jayhawk Conference isn’t starting their POW picks until after the new year, but it’s cool, we’ll pick up the slack until then.
Roll it:
ANDREA LEIKER
CRYSTAL BLUE
So not all of the news out of Butler is about the football team. But it seems like all of the news coming out of Butler is good news, at least. Circle High product Crystal Blue, a 5-foot-11 freshman hitter for the Grizzlies, has been named a first-team NJCAA Division II All-American.
Sunflower Slate salutes you, Ms. Blue. And props to whoever maintains the Butler volleyball site. Nice work.
Here’s the release from the Butler athletic department on her honors: