From ALAN HOSKINS, Kansan Contributor

Kansas City Kansas Community College Blue Devils withstood an early 3-point assault by William Jewell’s JV and rolled to their seventh straight win 104-61 at the KCKCC Field House Thursday night.

Hitting four of their first five 3-point shots and six of their first nine attempts overall, the Cardinals raced to an early 22-17 lead. However, KCKCC ran off the next 15 points to take a 32-22 lead en route to a 39-32 halftime lead and then broke it open with 57.6 percent second half shooting.

KCKCC returns to action Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Penn Valley, an arch-rival ranked No. 3 in Division II.

Jonathan Wright led KCKCC with a career high 18 points including eight in the first five minutes while Melvin Gatson added 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting along with a game high five assists. Derick Denny chipped in with 15 points including 3-of-4 three-pointers while Brett Jones and Monty Taylor scored 12 each Andre Metoyer 10.

Metoyer had a double double with 10 rebounds to go along with his 10 points while Hal Payne just missed with eight points and nine rebounds. The Blue Devils finished with 52.3 percent shooting for the game and enjoyed a 58-32 rebounding advantage while committing just nine turnovers.
 
 

By ALAN HOSKINS, Kansan Contributor

Fresh from winning a pressure-packed three-point shootout Saturday night, Kansas City Kansas Community College’s unbeaten Blue Devil men stretched their unbeaten record to 6-0 with a 78-52 win over Ottawa JV Monday night.

Home again Thursday at 7 p.m. against William Jewell’s JV, the win over Ottawa was the third in four days for the Blue Devils, who defeated Kansas Wesleyan’s JV 75-58 Friday and Brown Mackie 93-88 Saturday in the Brown Mackie Classic in Salina.

However, the KCKCC women had their four-game winning streak snapped by a 74-55 loss to Brown Mackie Saturday after a 68-54 Friday win over Hesston.

The Blue Devil men overcame Brown Mackie’s 57.4 percent shooting despite not being at full strength. Freshman Dennis Tinnon, the leading rebounder and second leading scorer, is out two to four weeks with a stress reaction in his left foot while scoring leader Derick Denny had to play without his contact lenses because of an eye infection.

Brown Mackie probably wished he’d had the contacts as Denny poured in a career high 35 points including 5 of 6 three-pointers in the first half. He finished 10 of 16 from the field including 8 of 13 treys and 7 of 8 free throws in what was a terrific battle of long range shooting.

Brown Mackie, which shot 64.5 percent the first half for a 49-47 lead, was 12 of 23 (.522) from three-point while KCKCC was 11 of 20 (.550) and 48.1 percent for the game.

Scott Fruehling added 14 points for KCKCC including 3-for-3 from distance while Jonathan Wright added 11 points and Monty Taylor 10. Although just 5-10, Melvin Gatson led in rebounds with six along with seven assists and seven points in a game that had 14 ties and 14 lead changes.

Andre Metoyer scored a career high 18 points and Hal Payne grabbed a career best 15 rebounds to lead the Blue Devils past Kansas Wesleyan. Metoyer was 8 of 10 from the field and added six rebounds. Frosh Monty Taylor also had a career high 15 points while Denny added 11 points, Fruehling 10, 9 and Payne 8.

KCKCC got contributions from many in the win over Ottawa’s JV. Fruehling led the scoring with 14 points while Gatson added 13, Denny and Taylor 12 each and Brett Jones 8; Wright had 9 rebounds, Payne 8 and Metoyer 7 as the Blue Devils dominated the boards 50-28; and Justin Dobler led in assists with four.

Four Lady Blue Devils scored in double figures as they won their fourth in a row 68-54 over Haskell Friday. Sarah Craft had 15 points, Alyssa Rushton 14 and Jerae David and Michelle Selbe 12 each as the Blue Devils shot 51 percent. Craft and Lori Schreiber led rebounding with eight each. 

Brown Mackie outscored KCKCC 21-3 from the three-point line in handing the Blue Devil women their first loss 74-53. The winners also got 20 points each and a combined 17 rebounds from Neasha Haynes and Danielle Smith and converted 23 KCKCC turnovers into 21 points.

Craft and Laci Schreiber each had 15 points and Michele Selbe and Alyssa Rushton 7 apiece for KCKCC. Schreiber also led all rebounders with 12 while Selbe, Rushton and Shannon Carlin each had seven.

By ALAN HOSKINS, Kansan Contributor

Fresh from winning a pressure-packed three-point shootout Saturday night, Kansas City Kansas Community College’s unbeaten Blue Devil men are right back in action tonight against Ottawa”s JV at 7 p.m. in the KCKCC Field House.

The Blue Devils ran their record to 5-0 over the weekend by beating Kansas Wesleyan’s JV 75-58 and Brown Mackie 93-88 in the Brown Mackie Classic in Salina but the KCKCC women had their four-game winning snapped by a 74-55 loss to Brown Mackie Saturday after a 68-54 win over Hesston on Friday.

The Blue Devil men overcame Brown Mackie’s 57.4 percent shooting despite not being at full strength.

Freshman Dennis Tinnon, the leading rebounder and second leading scorer, is out two to four weeks with a stress reaction in his left foot while scoring leader Derick Denny had to play without his contact lenses because of an eye infection.

Brown Mackie probably wished he’d had the contacts as Denny poured in a career high 35 points including 5 of 6 three-pointers in the first half.

He finished 10 of 16 from the field including 8 of 13 treys and 7 of 8 free throws in what was a terrific battle of long range shooting.

Brown Mackie, which shot 64.5 percent the first half for a 49-47 lead, was 12 of 23 (.522) from three-point while KCKCC was 11 of 20 (.550) from three-point and 48.1 percent for the game.

Scott Fruehling added 14 points for KCKCC including 3-for-3 from distance while Jonathan Wright added 11 points and Monty Taylor 10.

Although just 5-10, Melvin Gatson led in rebounds with six along with seven assists and seven points in a game that had 14 ties and 14 lead changes.

Andre Metoyer scored a career high 18 points and Hal Payne grabbed a career best 15 rebounds to lead the Blue Devils past Kansas Wesleyan. Metoyer was 8 of 10 from the field and added six rebounds.

Frosh Monty Taylor also had a career high 15 points while Denny added 11 points, Fruehling 10, 9 and Payne 8.

Four Lady Blue Devils scored in double figures as they won their fourth in a row 68-54 over Haskell Friday. Sarah Craft had 15 points, Alyssa Rushton 14 and Jerae David and Michelle Selbe 12 each as the Blue Devils shot 51 percent from the field. Craft and Lori Schreiber led rebounding with eight each.ras, 

Mackie Brown outscored KCKCC 21-3 from the three-point line in handing the Blue Devil women their first loss 74-53. The winners also got 20 points each and a combined 17 rebounds from Neasha Haynes and Danielle Smith and converted 23 KCKCC turnovers in 21 points.

Craft and Laci Schreiber each had 15 and Michele Selbe and Alyssa Rushton 7 apiece for KCKCC. Schreiber also led all rebounders with 12 while Selbe, Rushton and Shannon Carlin each had seven.

Flanked by (from left) coaches Mike Sylvara, Jon Oler and Bill Sloan (right), Kansas City Kansas Community College scoring leader Derick Denny signed a letter of intent Wednesday to attend Jacksonville State, a Division I member in Jacksonville, Ala. Also on hand were teammates (standing from left) Andre Metoyer, Chad Bailey, Scott Fruehling, Dennis Tinnon and Kevin Lysaught. (KCKCC Photo by Alan Hoskins)

By ALAN HOSKINS, Kansan Contributor

Deadly shooting guard Derick Denny is headed for Jacksonville State University ater he finishes what could be a record-setting scoring career at Kansas City Kansas Community College.

A 6-4 sophomore from Green Bay, Wis., Denny signed a letter of intent awarding him a full scholarship in front of family, friends and teammates Wednesday, Nov. 11.

With 15 three-point goals in 29 attempts (.517) in the Blue Devils’ first three games this season, Denny is on pace to set KCKCC records for three-point goals in a season (161) and career (190) and shooting percentage from three-point (.465).

His 108 three-point goals last season are third on the all-time list and No. 8 on the career list and his three-point percentage of .450 as a frosh is second all-time.

He’s also No. 2 on the list for shooting percentage for a single game, hitting 7 of 8 three-point shots against Haskell for 87.5 percent. Denny followed up the 7 of 8 performance with a career high 29 points in a 75-67 win over North Arkansas which included 7 of 14 three-pointers.

The Blue Devil scoring leader at 19.7 this season, Denny also led last year at 13.3 and finished the 2008-09 season with 55 three-point goals in his final 11 games despite double and triple-teaming by the talent-loaded Kansas Jayhawk Conference.

“He’s the best shooter I’ve coached,” said Blue Devil mentor Jon Oler. “I’ve had some good shooters but he’s far and away the best at getting off his shot. He really moves hard off screens and has the ability to cut to get open. Even the other night when North Ark knew he would be shooting threes, he got off 14 shots.”

Despite getting mounting inquiries from other Division I colleges, Denny decided to sign early in order to concentrate on the upcoming season.

“It was a security thing. They’re going to take care of me and my family with room, board and tuition and I really felt comfortable there,” said Denny, who has a 2-year-old son, Greg, with longtime significant other, Dahlia Munoz, who is also attending KCKCC. “Also, it’s in a good location close to Atlanta.”

A Division I university located in Jacksonville, Ala., about 45 minutes from Atlanta, Jacksonville State is coached by Jerry Green, who is in his second season as head coach after taking Mississippi State to the NCAA Division I tournament in 2008. “They run a lot of picks and screens to set up good shots like we do here,” said Denny.

“Ever since he was in eighth grade, he’s wanted to play Division I basketball and may have had a chance out of high school had he not got hurt,” said his father, Matthew Denny.

A torn ACL cost Denny most of his junior year at Seymour High School in Green Bay and he reinjured it before his senior year and missed half of that season.

A Native American, Denny is a member of the Oneida Nation in Wisconsin. His sister, Mariea Denny, was a student at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence when Denny was seeking a place to play basketball.

Learning of KCKCC, he was given a look by the Blue Devil coaching staff which immediately offered him a scholarship.

Denny’s signing at KCKCC proved a double bonus for the Blue Devil men’s program.

Dennis Tinnon, a 6-7 forward who played against Denny in high school at Green Bay East, joined his former rival this fall and leads the Blue Devils in rebounds (10.0) and is second in scoring (19.3).
 

From ALAN HOSKINS, Kansan Contributor

If a sweep of doubleheaders in the 6th Annual Keith Lindsey Classic is any indicator, Kansas City Kansas Community College could be in for a banner basketball season.

The Lady Blue Devils raced past Cottey College 67-44 and arch-rival Penn Valley 71-54 while the KCKCC men defeated Haskell JV 132-56 and North Arkansas 75-67 as both moved to 3-0.

The Classic was highlighted by near-record shooting performances by the Green Bay duo of sophomore Derick Denny and freshman Dennis Tinnon, who combined to make 20 of 24 shots in the rout of Haskell.

Denny was 7 of 8 from 3-point range for 87.5 percent, a shooting percentage bettered only by an 8 for 9 effort (.889) by Ray Smith in 1994; while Tinnon was 12 of 14, an .857 percentage that is third on the all-time list behind Henry Thomas (10-10) and Sebastien King (15-16).

Six Blue Devils finished in double figures. Tinnon led with 26 points with Denny adding 23, Brett Jones 18, Melvin Gatson 16, Hal Payne 13 and Andre Metoyer 10 as all 12 Blue Devils scored.

Tinnon also had 11 rebounds and Payne 8 as KCKCC held a 52-24 rebounding edge while Scott Fruehling had seven assists, Gatson six and Jones five.

Denny followed up with another 29 points against North Ark including 7 of 14 3-pointers while Fruehling and Tinnon each added 14 points.

Tinnon again led in rebounding with eight while Metoyer and Denny added six each and Chris McDonald five. Fruehling led in assists with six as the Blue Devils built a 39-30 lead and stayed in command.

The KCKCC women used balance for its sweep with at least five players scoring eight or more points in each game.

Former Piper standout Michelle Selbe had 16 points, Sarah Craft and Alyssa Rushton 12, Jerae David 10 and Lori Schreiber and Melanie Phipps 8 each in the win over Penn Valley.

Schreiber also had 15 rebounds, Sharron Carlin 9, Selbe 8 and Rushton and David 7 each as KCKCC had a 59-32 rebounding superiority to offset 37 turnovers.

Selbe also led against Cottey, scoring 19 points while Rushton added 11 and Craft, Schreiber and Carlin 8 each. 

Phipps led rebounding with nine while Schreiber and Rushton each had eight and Craft seven. Leading 36-29, KCKCC limited the Comets to just four second half field goals and 13.6 percent shooting.

Both teams are in Salina this weekend for the Brown Mackie Classic. The women play Hesston at 1 p.m.

Friday and Brown Mackie Saturday at 5 p.m. while the men play Kansas Wesleyan’s JV Friday at 3:30 p.m. and Brown Mackie Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The men are back home Monday, Aug. 16, against Ottawa’s JV; the women return Nov. 24 against Missouri Valley.

By ALAN HOSKINS, Kansan Contributor

Kansas City Kansas Community College got the 2009-10 basketball season off to a winning start with a sweep of Saint Mary JV Tuesday but the road gets a whole lot tougher in a hurry in the Sixth Annual Keith Lindsey Classic here this weekend.

The Lady Blue Devils take on Cottey College Friday at 6 p.m. and then face an early season showdown with arch-rival Penn Valley Saturday at 4 p.m. while the KCKCC men go up against Haskell JV Friday at 8 p.m. before a big early season test against North Arkansas Saturday at 2 p.m.

Four other games are also on tap. Johnson County and Penn Valley women square off in the tournament opener Friday at 2 p.m. with Penn Valley and North Arkansas colliding at 4 p.m. On Saturday, Johnson County will play Cottey at noon with Penn Valley meeting Saint Mary JV in the tourney final at 6 p.m.

KCKCC women’s coach Valerie Stambersky unveiled a promising corps of freshmen in the Lady Blue Devils’ 94-46 win over Saint Mary as a trio of frosh forwards combined for 40 points and 33 rebounds.

Former Piper standout Michelle Selbe had 15 points and 10 rebounds, Melanie Phipps of Mount Pleasant, Iowa, 13 points and 11 rebounds and Laci Schreiber of Shawnee Heights 12 points and 12 rebounds.

Guard Jerae David of Burlington, Colo., also had 15 points, soph Shannon Carlin of Tonganoxie 12 points and 5 rebounds, frosh Alyssa Rushton of Rochester, Minn. 9 points and 9 rebounds and veteran Sarah Craft of Lawrence Free State 8 points and 5 rebounds.

“We had a lot of players do a lot of good things but there’s a lot we need to work on,” said Stambersky, whose team shot 48.6 percent from the field and 86.7 percent from the foul line and grabbed twice as many rebounds (62-31) but committed 19 turnovers.

Blue Devil men’s coach Jon Oler was not as happy with a 79-56 win in the nightcap. “Not with 25 turnovers,” said Oler, whose Blue Devils put up only 55 shots to 59 for Saint Mary although hitting 45.5 percent while holding the Spires to 30.5 percent.

Freshman Dennis Tinnon of Green Bay, Wis., led the way with 18 points and veteran Jonathan Wright of St. Joseph’s LeBlond was perfect from the field in a 12-point effort. Veterans Melvin Gatson and Scott Fruehling added 9 points each.

Tinnon also had 11 rebounds as KCKCC controlled the boards 54-30 with soph Andre Metoyer and frosh Hal Payne of Bishop Miege adding eight each.
 

Now a headliner with the Harlem Rockets who played an exhibition game at Kansas City Kansas Community College last week, former Blue Devil star Greg Wells shows off some of his ball-handling tricks for his biggest fans, his children Dominee, DeMario and Amaiah. (KCKCC Photo by Alan Hoskins)

By ALAN HOSKINS, Kansan Contributor

With only two returning veterans, a promising corps of freshmen will carry women’s basketball hopes at Kansas City Kansas Community College this season.

The Blue Devils open the season Tuesday, Nov. 3, with a home game against Saint Mary’s JV at 5 p.m. and host Cottey College Friday (6 p.m.) and Penn Valley Saturday (4 p.m.) in the annual Keith Lindsey Classic.

“Obviously, we’ve got a lot of freshmen with no college experience but that could be a blessing in disguise in that they don’t know what to expect and aren’t intimidated,” said Coach Valerie Stambersky, who is beginning her 11th season at the Blue Devil helm.

Also on the plus side will be the most size the Lady Blue Devils have had in several years and the potential for offense.

“This should be one of the better scoring teams I’ve had and we have a lot of depth inside,” said Stambersky. “We have some very talented players who although they haven’t a lot of experience, will continue to improve over the course of the season.”

Leadership is expected to come from the two veterans, 5-10 guard Shannon Carlin (left) of Tonganoxie and 5-10 forward Sarah Craft (right) from Lawrence Free State.

Carlin started 26 games last season and was third in scoring with a 7.1-point average and hauled in 4.6 rebounds a game while Craft was second in rebounding (5.7) while averaging 3.5 points in 12 starts.

“Shannon’s biggest strength is her athleticism,” said Stambersky. “She’s quick and can jump and worked a lot in the off-season and pre-season on getting more consistency on her three-point shot. Sarah is a very solid rebounder, very fundamental with a lot of attention to detail who can score with her back to the basket or off the dribble.”

Size in the front court will come from 6-1 Laci Schreiber of Shawnee Heights, 6-0 Michelle Selbe of Piper and 6-0 Melanie Phipps of Mount Pleasant, Iowa, although more will come when Meleane (Ofa) Mace from the isle of Fiji becomes eligible the second semester.    

“Our post players are really solid this year,” says Stambersky, who will also play Craft at the power forward at times.

Three southpaws are among the freshmen guard hopefuls, 5-10 Alyssa Rushton of Rochester, Minn.; 5-6 Jerae David of Burlington, Colo.; and 5-5 Ashley Wham of Burden, Kan., along with 5-5 Brenna Wilson, a righthander from Garnett.

“Rushton can score off the dribble and from the 3-point line and David is very quick and can flat out guard on the perimeter,” said Stambersky. “She’ll get a lot of her offense off steals. Wham is also an aggressive defender on the perimeter while Wilson is a good spot up shooter.”

Two international students, 5-7 Annie Rowan of Portobelle, Scotland, and 5-7 Anna Belousova of Riga, Latvia, will battle it out for playing time at the point guard position.

“Rowan is very fundamentally sound, a good passer and great shooter from three while Belousova is a good defender who shoots well,” said Stambersky, who is being assisted by Alicia Roth and Tony Armstrong.

The Blue Devil mentor is hopeful a busy early season schedule will help her young squad transition into college level play. “There are still a lot of unknowns because of so many newcomers,” she warns.

In addition to the Keith Lindsey Classic Nov. 6-7, the Lady Blue Devils will compete against Hesston and Brown Mackie in Salina Nov. 13-14 and the AIB Classic in Des Moines Nov. 20-21 before returning to host Missouri Valley Nov. 24.

The schedule has a new look. With the annual Jayhawk Shootout at Coffeyville moved back to Jan. 7-8, Jaykhawk Conference play will begin before the semester break with games at Highland Dec. 2 and at home against Jayhawk power Labette Dec. 5.

By ALAN HOSKINS, Kansan Contributor

With the return of his top two scorers among five returning lettermen, Kansas City Kansas Community College Coach Jon Oler is ready for a return to the Jayhawk Conference elite.

Opening play comes Tuesday, Nov. 3, when the Blue Devils entertain Saint Mary’s JV in a doubleheader followed by the annual Keith Lindsey Classic against Haskell JV’s Friday at 8 p.m. and North Arkansas Saturday at 2 p.m.

Winner of 20 games in 2006 and 21 in 2007 – the most since the 1997-98 season – Oler addressed a need for size by adding five newcomers ranging in height from 6-5 to 6-10.

“This is a good freshmen group which will complement our veterans,” says Oler, who is in his 11th season as head coach. “We have more returning experience, especially in the backcourt where guards are usually the team leaders. Also, all our returning players stayed around this summer, worked hard and added a lot of strength.”

The guards around whom Oler will be constructing his 2009-10 squad are Derick Denny (pictured right), one of the most prolific perimeter shooters in KCKCC history; and point guard Melvin Gatson (pictured left), a Sumner Academy product who finished among the Jayhawk leaders in assists.

Shooting a torrid 45.0 percent from three-point range, Denny’s 108 3-point goals tied for the lead in the Jayhawk and were the third most at KCKCC. A 6-4 guard from Green Bay, Wis., who averaged 13.3 points last year, Denny was at his best the last third of season when he nailed 55 3-pointers in the final 11 games despite frequent double teaming on defense.

“Derick is the best shooter I’ve ever coached,” says Oler, who expects more double and triple teaming than ever this season. “He doesn’t need a lot of room to get off a shot, he gets it off so quickly.” 

Oler expects strong leadership from Gatson, who averaged 11.0 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists last season.

“Melvin has really matured as a leader on the floor,” says Oler. “He’s started to understand the game more and feels more comfortable.”

The third starter in Oler’s three-guard offense is a toss-up between 6-2 Scott Fruehling of SM Northwest and 6-6 Jonathan Wright of St. Joseph (Mo.) Lablond.

Fruehling made six starts last season and averaged 4.5 points and was second in 3-pointers while Wright averaged 3.6 points and 2.1 rebounds in nine starts.

“Scott has improved his strength and stamina and we look for his shot to be more consistent because of it while Jonathan made more improvement in building his strength than anyone on the team and gives us size on the perimeter.”

The only returnee on the inside is 6-8 Andre Metoyer of Alexandria, La., who averaged 2.8 points and 2.7 rebounds in a reserve role. “He’s really improved offensively and should be a solid force for us on the inside,” says Oler.

However, there is size in the newcomers in 6-5 State Fair transfer Chris McDonald and a quartet of freshmen, 6-7 Dennis Tinnon of Green Bay, Wis.; 6-10 Hal Payne, Bishop Miege; 6-6 T.J. Sheble, Olathe North; and 6-6 Chad Bailey of Pleasant Ridge.

McDonald is a scrappy, long-armed rebounder capable of doing all the “dirty work” defensively and offensively while Oler calls Tinnon the “most athletic and explosive big man” he’s coached. A rival of Denny in Green Bay, Tinnon plays bigger than 6-7 because of his jumping ability.

How quickly they transition to the college game will determine how quickly Payne, Sheble and Bailey will contribute. “Hal Payne has a wonderful touch with a nice jump hook but needs to improve his footwork,” says Oler. “Sheble is a long defender who rebounds well while Bailey is a big body with good skills who can handle the ball.”

Monty Taylor, a 6-0 frosh from Kansas City (Mo.) Central, will be the backup at point guard while 6-3 Brett Jones of Washington, 6-3 Justin Dobler of Topeka Seaman and 6-3 Kevin Lysaught of St. James Academy will vie for playing time in the backcourt.

“Taylor is a standout athlete, quick and able to handle the ball,” says Oler. “Jones is strong and athletic and will be a solid contributor as will Dobler, a redshirt freshman who defends well and is a real scrapper. Lysaught has been a pleasant surprise. A hard worker who can play all the guard spots, he’s a good outside shooter.”

Perhaps the best athlete on the team is 6-3 Sonny Lee of West Elk, who was a state high school dash and high jump champ but who is coming off an injury. “He’s fast and explosive but has to learn to play at the college level,” says Oler, who is being assisted by coaching veteran Bill Sloan and former Blue Devil standout Mike Sylvara. 

The Blue Devil schedule has a new look. With the annual Jayhawk Shootout at Coffeyville moved back to Jan. 8-9, conference play will begin in December.
 

Former Missouri coach Norm Stewart (right) was host Tuesday to a Coaches Against Cancer fund-raiser that featured an all-star coaches panel of (from left) Bill Self, Kansas; Matt Brown, UMKC; Frank Martin, Kansas State; and Mike Anderson, Missouri. (Photo by Alan Hoskins) 

By ALAN HOSKINS, Kansan Contributor

It’s not often Bill Self, Frank Martin and Mike Anderson see things the same way but all three are in total agreement – the Big 12 this year will be the toughest basketball conference in the nation.

On a night they could have been out recruiting – their final contact night under NCAA  rules – the coaches from Kansas, Kansas State and Missouri along with UMKC’s Matt Brown were all at the College Basketball Experience at the Sprint Center for a Coaches Against Cancer fund-raiser Tuesday hosted by former Missouri coach Norm Stewart.

“This is the last day they can have contact and they’re here,” said Stewart. “That shows they care. It’s absolutely phenomenal.” 

Self pretty well summed up the general feelings of the Big 12 coaches. “Frank (Martin) has got great, great personnel at Kansas State. They can score and are really good. Mike (Anderson) did the best job in America at MU last year. They are really hard to guard and they have the majority of players back.

“Texas, I think, is going to be great. And we return our top 10 players and have a pretty good recruiting class. They say it’s going to be the toughest conference in America and that’s the way it’s been the last few years.”

Anderson is coming off a 31-win season at Missouri. “That’s the most wins by anybody at MU,” said Stewart.

“It was a special year,” agreed Anderson. “If you would have told me we would win 31 games and the conference tournament, I would have said ‘What are you smoking?’ We lost three key players but we played a lot of guys so they have the opportunity to step up their games. It’s a team that needs to find its identity. Last year is history. But I’m excited.”

As for the Big 12 race, Anderson turned to Self and said “KU could beat the Boston Celtics. They’re going to be really good.”

Martin finally returns experience at Kansas State.

”We’ve got four players who understand,” said Martin. “Freshmen come in and they think they know but when they have to make an entry pass at Allen Fieldhouse, 18-year-olds don’t understand what it takes. For the first time we’ve got experience. They’ve been to KU and got beat up and to MU and got beat up. So we’re excited. And I’m happy.”

As for the conference race, Martin said: “There is no arena where you can get an easy win. It’s so difficult to win in this conference.”

Brown, whose UMKC team will play Missouri, Nebraska and Wichita State, likewise has considerable experience.

“I really feel like I’m going to have a chance to coach,” said Brown, who may be aided by the fact the Kangaroos will play some of their home games on the UMKC campus.

As could be expected, good natured shots were taken at each other with Self taking the majority of them with Martin and Brown pointing out that the refereeing crews when facing KU included one official named Self.

However, it was Self who spoke last and who got in the best jab. “Without a doubt Frank Martin and Mike Anderson are the best defensive coaches in the Big 12. They reach, grab and hold on every possession and do it very well.”