Blue Devils rebound from 2-8 start to win first Jayhawk championship in 50 years
by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
If, on Nov. 30, ESPN had predicted Kansas City Kansas Community College’s win probability of capturing the 2020 Jayhawk Conference championship, it probably would have been about 2.4 percent.
The Blue Devils had just taken a 90-67 thumping at the hands of nationally ranked Mineral Area and were just 2-8 a third of the way through their schedule. Furthermore, they had lost their No. 1 scorer and rebounder, 6-8 Sevon Witt, who was averaging 22.2 points and 11.6 rebounds when he tore an ACL and was lost for the season in just his sixth game.
What that 2-8 start didn’t reflect was the fact that four of the losses were at the hands of teams currently ranked in the Top 20 in either Division I or Division II. Or that five of the eight losses were by 10 points or less. Or that nine of KCKCC’s first 11 games were on the road.
Little could have anyone guessed that the Brandon Burgette-led Blue Devils were gearing up for one of the biggest if not the biggest turnarounds in Jayhawk history culminated by a 9-game winning streak and the first-ever Jayhawk men’s championship in the 51st year of the conference.
So how did it happen?
“The beginning of the year, tough schedule, new players, new system, new coaches,” Burgette said. “It took time for our guys to understand how to play and games to get us to jell and come together. Most of our games were under double digits; we just had a hard time closing out games.”
The Blue Devils entered Jayhawk play with just nine healthy players after losing sophomore Cody Dortch (7.4-point scoring average) to a torn ACL 11 games into the season. Opening conference play at Labette, the Blue Devils dropped a 79-71 decision but they would not lose again until the Jayhawk championship had been signed, sealed and delivered.
They won pivotal road games at Fort Scott (75-64) and Highland (91-73) and then jolted a Johnson County team 82-65 that had been ranked No. 1 in the nation in the pre-season poll. A come-from-behind 74-69 win over Fort Scott clinched no worse than a title tie and set up one of the biggest and the most crucial comeback in history. Trailing Highland by 14 points with less than eight minutes to go, the Blue Devils stormed to a 71-67 win that set up a wild championship celebration at mid-court.
And they did it with basically just seven players – two “Bigs,” 6-8 Jermaine Yarbough and 6-7 Robert Rhodes; two big guards, 6-4 Jalen Davis and 6-3 Calvin Slaughter, the only two sophomores on the team; and three quick guards 6-0 Deron McDaniel, 6-1 Ezekiel Lopes and 5-9 DeAngelo Bell. Game time was limited for forwards 6-6 Tim Barbieri and 6-5 Jaemall Newson.
The balance of the seven has been the foundation of their success. Four Blue Devils are averaging in double figures – McDaniel, 13.7; Davis, 13.5; Yarbough, 10.2; and Slaughter, 10.2. Lopes (9.3) is close while Rhodes (8.2) leads the Jayhawk in rebounding (9.3) and blocked shots (2.0) and Bell (7.2) leads the team in assists with 91.
“It’s not going to be the same guy (scoring) every night,” Burgette saod. “When teams scout us and takes someone away, it gives someone else the opportunity to step up.”
Indeed, in the eight wins in conference play, five different Blue Devils led the scoring. Five were in double figures in an 81-77 home win over Labette and six in a 98-91 loss at Johnson County last Saturday.
“Our guard play has got a lot better,” Burgette said. “Early on we were relying on our bigs; now we’re counting on our guards to make big plays.” Slaughter has increased his scoring in conference play from 10.2 to 13.4 and McDaniel is at a team high 15.4.
“Calvin has improved during the year; DeAngelo has improved. He’s just learning how to play,” Burgette saod. “Robert has been a big presence defensively but needs to get stronger offensively. Jermaine has shown flashes but needs to put everything together.”
The No. 1 seed in the Region VI playoffs, the Blue Devils will play host to the winner of Friday’s Labette at Fort Scott first round contest next Tuesday at 7 p.m.
“It’s not going to be easy, we’re going to get everyone’s best shot,” Burgette said. “Both teams led us at one point in the game and we had to fight back to win. Each teams hurts you in a different way. Labette brings a lot of pressure and toughness; Fort Scott is very well coached.”