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
MIAA
Andrea Leiker went crazy this weekend for No. 12 Emporia State — including hitting SEVEN STRAIGHT THREES in a 111-67 win over Missouri Western on Saturday. I don’t know about you, Dear Reader, but I don’t know if I can hit seven straight in a gym, with no one watching, and a whole lot of time on my hands. The 5-foot-6 senior guard finished with 30 points against the Griffons to go with five rebounds and two steals. She also had 22 points and four steals against Northwest Missouri in a 71-60 win last Wednesday. And now the Hornets are 2-0 in MIAA play and she’s the conference player of the week. And the good people of Lyons rejoice. (One other note: I don’t know how I feel about those new unis, see above, they seem very University of Oregon-ish to me … I’m on the fence. Too plain maybe?)
And 6-11 center Matthew Rogers out of Southwest Baptist is the men’s player of the week, again, if you need him.
PHIL MCCLINTOCK
KCAC
Barring injury or apocalypse, I think that this first round of Player of the Week award winners in the KCAC are pretty safe bets to pick up Player of the YEAR honors later. Seriously, they dominate.
I’m talking Sterling’s Ashley Kraft and Ottawa’s Phil McClintock, in case you didn’t know. McClintock — a 6-5 senior and first-team all-KCAC pick and honorable mention All-American a year ago — helped the Braves go 3-0 last week, and dude heated up as it got closer to the weekend. First, he had 10 points and 8 rebounds in a win over Haskell. Ho-hum. Then he went for 29 points, 15 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals against Saint Mary. Holy cow. Then he topped his week off with 31 points and 10 boards against Bethel in North Newton. Holy No. 21 ranking, Batman! And that’s how you get your team to jump three spots in the latest NAIA Division II poll. Simple, right?
Kraft fills up the stat sheet, which you know by now if you read this blog or follow the KCAC. And if you don’t, welcome to the party. She helped Sterling — which jumped to No. 8 — to two wins last week with two double-doubles. She went for 23 points, 11 rebounds and 3 steals in a win over Bethel then went for 20 and 15 against No. 21 Kansas Wesleyan. Gary Karr doesn’t believe me yet, but she could be national player of the year and the Warriors could go far in the national tournament, maybe win it all.
And while there are only two links to women’s basketball profiles on the Sterling athletics site … this is the first time I’ve ever seen where it gives you a link to e-mail the players directly. Strange.
JAYHAWK
Here’s where I’m going off the reservation. They don’t pick ‘em for POWs until Jan. 3, but here at Sunflower Slate we’re giving it the early-December green light.
MEN: Darius Johnson-Odom, Hutchinson
No-brainer. 46 points and 10 boards in the first game. 32 points in the second. And I get text messages all weekend from Jayhawk coaches talking about what a stud he was. If there was a close second, it’d go to Cowley’s Adonis Gantt.
WOMEN: Cloud County
That’s right, the whole team. For being balanced. For being 10-1. And for flying under the radar. How, pray tell, are they not ranked?
I’m out.
-TA
12 Comments
“I’m out.” What does that mean? Hey, TA you are OUT! (OF YOUR MIND) These leagues are WEAK! Report on real sports.
Ben
My good friend Ben,
I’m out means that’s the end of the post … these ARE real sports … these leagues aren’t weak … yada, yada, yada … I tell you again and again and again … although I did like your post about WSU taking Butler’s entire team and making it their own. They’ve at least shown they can (partially) fill up Cessna Stadium.
I’m out.
-T. Adame
So is this Ben character just jealous because he wasn’t good enough to play collegiate athletics? Respect these kids for furthering their education and playing inter-collegiate sports. And while you’re at it, I’ll take a 6 piece mcnugget and a medium coke. I assume you’re the guy who takes my McDonald’s order.
TA;
If these were REAL sports, then “BOOB” Lutz would be on this blog and not someone who says “I’m out” (of my mind).
Ben
MrPuke;
What are you trying to say? These kids that attend these 3rd rate schools are going to go to work at Mc Donald’s after they are finished with these worthless sports teams? They probably are not quaified!
I bet Mrpuke did play sports at these schools, but can’t get a job anywhere but writing for the Wichita Eagle like “Boob” Lutz.
That’s exactly what I was trying to say. You got me! I can’t believe how badly your words sting. I may never be able to recover from being verbally beaten down so hard by a guy who was cut from his middle school JV four square team and still can’t understand why. Why waste your time talking bad about students who want to continue to do something they enjoy? I’m sure you’ll get back to me as soon as your done rewiring your Atari to work with the TV in your parent’s basement where you live
Mrpuke;
Don’t blame me because your kid plays for these pretend sports teams. When I was a little kid I pretended to be a cowboy, but no one wrote a blog about it. These kids are pretending to play sports and just because TA writes about them does not make the sports anymore than pretend. Hey, tell your kid “Hi” and good luck pretending to be an athlete.
Ben
Don’t have kids yet, and my wife was a NCAA Division I athlete, but nice try. It is too bad that nobody made a “Bendover Cowboy Blog” though. Maybe then you wouldn’t have so much built up anger towards athletes. It’s okay Ben, just go back to your bedroom and cry next to your autographed picture of Captain Kirk and Spock. They always understand don’t they.
Mr. Duke,
As entertaining as Ben is … that Capt. Kirk/Dr. Spock blast … I’m still laughing.
They always understand, don’t they?
Good stuff. Thank you for posting.
-T. Adame
Somebody deleted my post to Mrpuke about his division one “wife”.
Ben
That’s too bad. Probably was another post from “Jealous Ben” showing his intellectual wit and debating prowess, or lack there of. Just accept that you have never been and never will be an athlete and you can start to get over your inferiority complex. Although I will say this, I do agree with you that the kid tacking on Esquire to his name is ridiculous. Maybe he’s like the kid from Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure.
Hey Puke;
Where did your wife play and what was the sport?
Did you play a sport? How do you know I am not an athlete?
Also, I have never said I did not like divisin one sports. I think this blog covers 3td rate spots.
Ben