Hutchinson Community College freshman guard Darius Johnson-Odom capped his one year in the Jayhawk in high fashion today, grabbing first-team NJCAA All-American honors, the second year in a row that a Blue Dragon guard has been named a first teamer after Bobby Maze (now running point for Tennessee and Bruce Pearl) was a first-teamer last year. I threw a little baby DJO highlight (from his junior year of h.s.) up top, you know, for nostalgia. He’ll be in the Marquette back court next year.
Cowley’s Jack Crowder, another Sunflower Slate fave, was an honorable mention pick. It goes without saying … but Wichita Southeast Carl Taylor has put out a pretty steady stream of college talent the last five years (Dupree Lucas, Jordan Cyphers, Crowder, Adonis Gantt … Joe Mitchell soon enough). That’s a nice pump for the 316 when these kids go out and tear it up. Jayhawk West player of the year Nyika Williams — a 6-8 power forward headed to Pacific — was a third-teamer. Region VI MVP Thomas Manzano out of Garden City was an HM pick. He’s headed to Wyoming. No WSU offer for him, either.
QUICK SOAPBOX: DJO WAS DEFINITELY OUT OF WSU’S LEAGUE. MANZANO WAS NOT. WILLIAMS WAS NOT. THEY NEVER EVEN GOT RECRUITED BY THE SHOX. SO … YOU’RE TELLING ME THAT REGGIE CHAMBERLIN WAS GOOD ENOUGH TO PLAY AT WSU BUT THESE TWO WEREN’T? PLEASE SIGN JAWANZA POLAND AND MAKE THIS ALL GO AWAY. THE JAYHAWK IS THERE TO HELP YOU, WSU HONKS.
My evil twin had to get on for a second. On the women’s side, Hutchinson guard Heather Robben was an HM All-American after a freshman campaign that saw her help lead the Blue Dragons to their frist Region VI title since the late 70s. That’s 1970s. Cowley sophomore Elena Yankova was also an HM pick. I put the complete list of selections below. OUT.
2009 NJCAA All-America Teams
First Team
Casey Mitchell G 6-5 205 So. Chipola College
DeAndre Brown G 5-11 160 So. Navarro College
Darius Johnson-Odom G 6-2 190 Fr. Hutchinson
Dwight Buycks G 6-3 185 So. Indian Hills
Ridge McKeither F 6-5 245 So. ND State Coll. of Science
Chris Hines F 6-8 220 So. SW Illinois College
Jarrid Famous C 7-0 235 So. Westchester C.C.
Ricardo Ratliffe F 6-8 236 Fr. Central Florida
Renado Parker F 6-6 245 Fr. North Idaho College
D.J. Wright F 6-7 235 Fr. Salt Lake
Second Team
Myron Strong G 6-2 185 So. Southwest Tennessee
Adam Brown G 6-3 180 So. Collin County
Andre Almeida C 6-10 340 Fr. Arizona Western
Justin Ray G 5-8 165 So. Mississippi Gulf Coast
Eugene Bain F 6-5 210 So. North Platte
Wayne Runnels F 6-6 205 So. N. Oklahoma-Enid
Marquise Carter G 6-4 185 Fr. Three Rivers
Brandon Williams G 6-2 185 So. Shelton State
Jae Crowder G 6-5 207 Fr. South Georgia College
Jeff Early G 6-1 190 Fr. Allegany College of Maryland
Third Team
Antonio Bumpus G 6-4 190 Fr. Harcum College
Eric Frederick F 6-7 230 Fr. Highland
Kahlil McDonald G 6-4 190 Fr. Blinn College
David Tairu G 6-3 175 So. South Plains College
Nyika Williams F 6-8 210 So. Barton
Lance James G 5-11 205 So. Aiken Technical College
Dwight Hardy G 6-2 180 So. Indian Hills
Stephon Weaver G 6-2 190 So. Connors State College
Trevor Mbakwa F 6-8 240 So. Miami Dade College
Honorable Mention
James Livingston G 6-3 175 So. ND State Coll. of Science
Kwan Waller G 6-0 175 So. Sauk Valley
Darryl Ashford F 6-5 190 So. Jacksonville College
Maurice McNeil F 6-9 210 So. San Jacinto College
Thomas Manzano G 6-4 205 Fr. Garden City
Kavon Lytch F 6-7 241 So. Midland College
Lance Jeter G 6-3 235 Soo. Polk
Moustapha Diarra F/C 6-10 230 So. Sheridan College
Marquis Gilstrap G 6-7 206 So. Gulf Coast
Marcus Williams G 5-10 165 Fr. Cochise College
Jeremy Marrs C 6-10 200 So. Three Rivers
Jamail Turner G 6-4 205 So. Georgia Perimeter College
Jared Rehmel G 5-11 150 So. Olney Central College
Daequon Montreal F 6-8 220 So. Coll. of Southern Idaho
Kyle Wright G 6-5 215 So. Monroe College
Kenny Leverette G 6-1 195 Fr. Southwestern Illinois
Jack Crowder F 6-4 205 So. Cowley College
Terrance Mitchell G 6-3 200 So. Faulkner State
Trent Hutchin G 6-0 174 So. Copiah-Lincoln
Tim Williams G 6-4 206 So. Motlow State
2009 NJCAA Women’s All-America Teams
First Team
Danielle Adams F 6-2 So. Jefferson College
Hope Elam F 6-1 So. Vincennes University
Lakrystle Gross G 5-7 Fr. Walters State
Taisja Jones F 6-0 So. Grayson County
Chimere Jordan G 5-8 So. Gulf Coast
Yohanna Morton G 5-8 So. Arizona Western
Jasmine Nelson C 6-3 So. Trinity Valley
Precious Robinson F 6-1 So. Central Arizona
Tahnee Robinson G 5-11 So. Sheridan College
Second Team
Latoya Williams C 6-3 So. Chipola College
Lyrell Barfield G 5-8 So. Midland College
Mystee Dale G 5-9 So. East Central Mississippi
Layka Garrison G 5-5 So. Carl Albert State
Krystal Parnell G 5-6 Fr. Monroe College
Shaunice Samms C 6-0 Fr. College of Southern Idaho
Leondra Doomes-Stephens G 5-9 So. Fort Scott
Deeva Vaughn F 6-0 Fr. Northern Oklahoma-Enid
Tenaya Watson G 5-8 So. Central Arizona
Whitney Williams G 5-9 So. Kaskaskia College
Third Team
Carolyn Blair-Moody G 5-10 Fr. Cloud County
Angelique Burtts F 5-11 So. East Mississippi
Florencia Fernandez F 6-2 Fr. Midland College
Latoya King G 5-6 So. Seminole C.C.
Marquisha Loper G 5-5 So. Shelton State
Jasmine Lovejoy G 5-8 So. Northeast Nebraska
Soana Lucet F 6-1 So. College of Southern Idaho
Whitley Mayberry G 5-8 So. Northwest-Shoals
Rhon-Neisha Taylor G 5-8 So. Walters State
Monshay Thomas G 5-9 Fr. Darton College
Honorable Mention
Amber Adams F 5-10 So. Williston State College
Deshawna Banks G 5-8 So. Trinity Valley
Jessica Bennett F 5-11 So. Sauk Valley
Ty’Ronda Benning G 5-6 So. Lincoln Trail College
Morgan Boyd G 5-10 So. University of Ark.-Fort Smith
Nicole Brady C 6-1 So. Salt Lake
Ashley Buis G 5-11 Fr. Vincennes University
Bianca Cheever G 5-8 So. North Idaho College
Shaquilah Davis G 5-7 So. Western Nebraska
Sabelle Diata F 6-1 Fr. Northeastern Junior College
Deree Fooks F 6-1 Fr. Monroe College
Breanna Fort F 5-11 So. Central Florida
Megan Fraley G 5-7 So. Northeastern Oklahoma A&M
Shaniqua Gray G 5-5 Fr. Volunteer State
Heather Robben F 5-9 Fr. Hutchinson
Denetra Kellum G 5-8 So. Kilgore College
Kristen D. Thomas F 5-11 So. Hillsborough
Rachel Vigers F 5-9 So. Copiah-Lincoln
Kristen Williams F 5-9 So. Moberly
Elena Yankova G 6-1 So. Cowley College
One Comment
Well, that’s what you get with the Shocks. They had plenty of time before last season to have convinced Manzano the Valley is a much better conference than the Mountain West. But again, it’s Wichita State and missing out on a player that would have came in to be an immediate help is nothing new.
Wyoming’s gain is Wichita State’s loss.