2021-22 Season Preview

PRESEASON NOTEBOOK

.5 seconds is all most fans will remember about April 7, 2021. Jaduhkiss Soto, who was inexplicably fouled shooting a 3-pointer in the closing seconds of the Broncbusters’ Region VI semifinal showdown with Barton County, sank three free throws to give Garden City an 80-79 advantage. But after a timeout, Head Coach Cole Dewey instructed Mo Diarra to guard the baseline. What ensued will go down as one of the craziest finishes in recent memory.

Jaheim Holden purposely undercut the Broncbusters’ star post, who tried to push through the dummy screen only to be called for a personal foul. Holden sprinted to the other end, knocked down two freebies, and just like that, Garden City’s season was over.

“That was totally on me,” Dewey said after the game. “Our guys won this one, and I lost it for them.”

Those precious moments are the ones most people remember. But the sight of Garden City walking off the floor that night was eerie; as if a cloud of black smoke filled the air of an already tumultuous season. It was not only the end of the Broncbusters’ postseason run, but the end of Dewey’s tenure as Head Coach.

Less than a month later, Dewey accepted an assistant job at Texas A&M Corpus Christi, leaving the program searching for a new head coach for the second straight season. But administration already had an idea of who they wanted.

“Bill Morosco was one of the guys who we looked at when we hired Cole,” Vice President of Athletics, Colin Lamb said. “What he did at Independence was remarkable, and his teams were always competitive.”

On May 12, the school made it official, nabbing one of the best young coaches in the business.

“The school, the community, and the people, really impressed me,” Morosco said during his introductory press conference. “During my last two years in the Jayhawk, I have always been impressed with the Garden City campus and the community it draws from. I’m also impressed with Dr. Ruda and Vice President, Colin Lamb.

The 31-year old had already nagivated through the turbulent Jayhawk Conference, guiding Independence to a 23-9 record in 2019-their most wins in nearly a decade. The following season, the Pirates took down eventual National Champion Coffeyville.

“This program will be team-oriented,” Morosco added. “We usually have four or five different guys scoring in double figures. We prefer a collection of individuals.”

While Morosco recruited a fantastic class, his biggest accomplishment was luring Diarra into coming back for another season. The sophomore, who spent the summer in Paris, made his return over the summer, providing an already solid lineup with a massive boost in the post.

“Mo can be that special player,” Morosco explained. “It has to be consistent, but he can rebound and stretch the floor.”

Diarra’s freshman campaign was met with plenty of inconsistency. Still, he averaged 8.4 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, posting six double-doubles and finishing fourth in the conference in boards.

“Our goal for Mo is to average 20 rebounds per game,” Morosco stated. “Can that happen all the time? Probably not. But, when he can be that type of force, he can be a very special player.”

Now back on campus, Diarra has the attention of Power-5 and mid-major schools across the country. And he’s joined by a fantastic group that could have the Broncbusters right in the mix of a competitive conference race.

The team

Diarra is one of the main core players returning from last year’s region semifinal squad. Playing alongside him is point guard June Lewis and forward Riny Lual, who joined Diarra after last season on Corey Bryant’s soccer team. Garden City also added some length at the guard position, signing Josh Nwankwo, a 6-7 marksman from Oklahoma City who was named the offensive player of the year in the Big 8 Conference as a senior. He averaged 20 points, seven rebounds, and 2.5 assists while shooting 50 percent from the floor and 80 percent from the line, leading Putnam City North to a state title.

Then there’s Heru Bligen, a Division-I transfer from Longwood University who averaged 6.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists last season. A 4.0 student, Bligen could be one of Morosco’s best all-around recruits. His backcourt mate is Tone Hunter, a 6-1 point guard from Las Vegas, NV whose silky-smooth jumper and high basketball I.Q. gives Morosco a perfect 1-2 punch at the guard spot.

The schedule

Morosco has a couple of tricky games to navigate during the non-conference portion of the schedule, including a road matchup at Frank Phillips on Nov. 9 and a back-to-back games vs. Labette and Neosho in Dodge City on Nov. 12 and 13. But the real fun begins on Nov. 17 in Great Bend, where the Broncbusters begin Jayhawk play in the same gym where their season came to an end back in April. That’s followed up with a showdown with defending National Champion Coffeyville at Conestoga Arena on Nov. 20.

It does not get much easier from there with road dates at Morosco’s old stomping grounds Independence on Nov. 27 and at Dodge City on Dec. 4. The Conquistadors were ranked 10th in the preseason polls. They close out the first-semester schedule vs. Seward, Northwest Tech, and Cowley. The early marquee matchup on the second-half of the schedule happens at home on Jan. 12 when Butler comes to town. Three days later, the Broncbusters travel to the Sports Arena to play Hutch.

“There is no doubt that the KJCCC is the

premiere basketball conference in Junior College,” Morosco said. “Hall of Fame coaches, outstanding institutions committed to athletic success, unbelievable talent and athleticism, rabid fan bases, hostile home court advantages and lengthy conference travel, this league is second to none. Anyone who wins this conference will be more than preprared to compete for a National Championship.”

The Jayhawk Conference

The league also looks a little different in 2021-22. Steve Eck resigned at Hutch, giving way to Tommy DeSalme, who guided Cowley to the National Championship Game in the spring. In Great Bend, Jeremy Coombs left Neosho to replace Craig Fletchall, who stepped down after nearly two decades at Barton. And in Arkansas City, Donnie Jackson was hired to replace DeSalme after winning 183 games in eight seasons at Northern Oklahoma-Tonkawa.

JAYHAWK PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH TEAM COACH REC LY

Coffeyville Jay Herkelman 27-3 Dodge City Jake Williams 14-9 Butler Kyle Fisher 16-7 Colby Rusty Elmore 6-10 Hutch Tommy DeSalme 19-7 Seward Rylee Hernandez 8-13 Indy Justin Mann 14-9 Cowley Donnie Jackson 24-5 Garden City Bill Morosco 9-13 Barton Jeremy Coombs 16-9 Pratt Sean Flynn 10-11 Cloud County Devin Kastrup 7-16 NW Tech Jay Bradley 3-18

MEN’S COACHING STAFF

Coach Bill Morosco ................................. 34 Asst Coach Bobby Naubert.................. 36 Asst Coach Darryl Jackson ................... 37 Asst Coach Jaxon Autry......................... 38