by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
Connor Bailey thought he had enough basketball after a successful high school career in Georgia. Fortunately for Kansas City Kansas Community College, the 6-7 combo guard-forward changed his mind and signed to continue his playing career with the Blue Devils Tuesday.
“Connor is going to be a great asset to this team,” said KCKCC head coach Kelley Newton. “He fills a spot Armonti Shorter filled last year as a big scoring guard and as a little older player, gives us some leadership we lacked this past season. It says a lot that he’s coming back after not having played for a couple of years but we’re real happy he did.”
Playing at Midway High School just outside of Savannah, Ga., Bailey averaged 15 points and 8 rebounds on a team that finished 24-3.
“We got beat on a buzzer beater in the Sweet Sixteen,” he said.
A 2014 graduate, Bailey enrolled at Kennesaw State in Kennesaw, Ga., but did not play basketball.
“I decided not to play anymore but then I coached a rec team that won the championship in a youth program in Atlanta,” he said.
His interest in the game rekindled, Bailey came in contact with Anthony Evans, with whom Newton had played basketball at Neosho County Community College. Newton continued his career at Oklahoma, Evans at Georgia. Contact with Newton was made and after an on-site visit to the KCKCC campus Tuesday, Bailey signed on to become a Blue Devil.