by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
Idle since Dec. 11, Kansas City Kansas Community College’s young Blue Devils will return to action with a flourish, playing three games in six day as they enter final preparations for Jayhawk Conference play.
OnPoint Hoops Academy will come to the KCKCC Field House Saturday followed by long-time rival Penn Valley on Tuesday and Wentworth Military Academy on Thursday. All three games will have 7 p.m. tipoffs and are sandwiched between two women’s home games against Livin’ The Dream Monday and North Central Wednesday.
A young team with just four sophomores, the Blue Devils have had excellent scoring balance in an 8-6 non-conference season. All five starters are averaging better than nine points a game including four freshmen – guard Mike Lee (12.6), center Jonathan Murray (10.6), forward Xavier Ganoa (10.3) and guard Kellen Turner (9.4). The lone sophomore in the group, Joe Lendway, is second in scoring at 11.2 and leads in rebounding with 6.3 per game.
“This is what we want, balanced scoring coming from all angles. We’re not a team that wants to have a go-to guy,” coach Kelley Newton said. “We’ve had several players step up and when we get a hot hand we like to roll with it. For us with a bunch of freshmen, we’re sitting at a good place. We’re better now than we were at the start of the season.”
Strength off the bench has been a definite factor. Sophomore guard Dehaven Talley is averaging 7.3 points in his role as sixth man; freshman Devante Sayles is second in assists and averaging 4.9 points; and lanky sophs Armoni Shorter (4.9) and Lashawn Lewis (4.4) have provided solid backup to the front line. Lee leads in assists at 4.9 followed by Sayles and Turner both at 4.2.
With six players 6-5 or better, size was expected to be a strength and it has not disappointed as the Blue Devils have outrebounded foes by seven a game. Lendway (6.3), Murray (5.8) and Gaona (4.6) lead with Shorter (2.9), Lewis (2.5) and frosh Trevor Young (2.3) providing invaluable depth.
“We do a good job of crashing the glass but we need to do a better job of finishing, turning those offensive rebounds into points,” Newton said. “While still with a long way to go in their development, Jon Murray has really come along gaining more confidence and being more dependable and Xavier Ganoa is getting out of his high school mode and learning how to be a college player.”
Once through the three home games in six days, the Blue Devils will finish the season with 12 of 13 games against Jayhawk foes in what shapes up as a wild and furious race. It all begins against the two teams with the best non-conference records – at Highland (10-4) Jan. 13 followed by No. 3 ranked Johnson County (13-1) at home Jan. 16.
“In my opinion, we’re getting the best two teams right off the bat,” Newton said. “Johnson County is having a great year and is the clear-cut favorite but we saw Highland here in our classic and they’re really big, strong and athletic. From past history we know Hesston (10-5) and Brown Mackie (8-8) are forces to be reckoned with and when it comes to Fort Scott (4-12) and Labette (3-13), records do not matter. All six teams are tough to prepare for and at this point, everyone will be starting 0-0.”
Alan Hoskins is the sports information director for KCKCC.