by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
Kansas City Kansas Community College will take on one of the highest scoring teams in the nation in opening round play of the 2020 NJCAA Division II national basketball tournament.
The No. 14 seeded Blue Devils will open play in the tournament against No. 3 Muskegon Community College (Michigan) Tuesday at 11 a.m. in Danville, Illinois. The games will be streamed on the NJCAA website with a charge of $4.99 for a single broadcast; $14 for a championship pass for all games.
Averaging 92.5 points a game, Muskegon (26-4) will come into the national tournament with 21 straight wins. The Jayhawks’ winning streak includes capturing conference, state and regional championships as the Jayhawks advanced to the national tourney for the first time since 1989-1990.
The Blue Devils will be making their second trip to the national in five years. The No. 14 seed, KCKCC is 18-13 this season but the Blue Devils have won 10 of their last 11 games.
A win in the opener would send KCKCC against the winner of Tuesday’s 2 p.m. game matching No. 6 South Suburban (29-4) and No. 11 Glendale, Arizona (20-10) in a quarterfinal contest Thursday at 6 p.m. A loss would match the two teams Thursday at 3 p.m.
Muskegon ranks in the Top 10 in several categories, both offensively and defensively. The Jayhawks are No. 4 in the nation in blocked shots, averaging 6.4 a game; and are eighth in defensive rebounding (32.5) and 14th in total rebounds per game (45.6). Offensively, Muskegon is 11th in scoring average (92.5), fifth in shot attempts (75.1) and eighth in field goals made (34.9).
Five Jayhawks averaged in double figures in scoring led by 5-10 sophomore point guard Kylan Shipp, who averaged 19.1 points and 5.5 assists a game. Other leaders include 6-4 guard Jermayne Golidy (16.2 points); 6-11 forwards Vejas Grazulis (14.2) and 6-8 Jerome Bivens (14.1); and 6-3 guard Travez Nyx (12.6). The 6-11 Grazulis will be the Blue Devils’ biggest challenge, He’s averaging 4.1 blocks and 12.8 rebounds a game while the 6-8 Bivens is averaging 7.4 rebounds and Golidy 5.9.
The Blue Devils have four players scoring in double figures and seven with averages of seven or more points. Sophomore Jalen Davis (13.9) and freshman Deron McDaniel (13.6) are the leaders followed by sophomore Calvin Slaughter (10.8) and freshmen Jermaine Yarbough (10.2), Ezekiel Lopes (9.4), Robert Rhodes (8.6) and DeAngelo Bell (7.1). Bell leads in assists (3.1), Rhodes in rebounds (9.3).