Home of SAINTS ATHLETICS

October 25, 2006
SAINTS BOOKSTORE BASKETBALL BENEFIT NIGHT
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28 (6:30 P.M. @ THE GREEN HOUSE)
Donations support Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Seward, Haskell and Stevens Counties
JUST 3 MORE DAYS UNTIL THE START OF SAINTS BASKETBALL

This Saturday, October 28 at 6:30 p.m. will be the Saints Bookstore Basketball Benefit Night at the Green House, where the 2006-2007 Seward County Community College men’s and women’s basketball programs will host a night of fun for children and adults of all ages. This year the benefit night will support Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Seward, Haskell and Stevens Counties . Admission is free, and all goodwill donations will be accepted at the door.

BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS FACT OF THE DAY:

- Big Brother/Big Sister matches are:

            46 % less likely to start using drugs

            27% less likely to start drinking alcohol

            55% less likely to skip school

            33% less likely to get into a violent confrontations

- To learn more go to www.ksbbbs.org

JAYHAWK WEST CONFERENCE PREVIEW

Dave Brown

The Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference is a predominant power in men’s and women’s basketball. Last season, the Jayhawk West Conference showcased five women’s basketball programs that received NJCAA Top 20 national rankings during the regular season including Barton County C.C., Cloud County C.C., Colby C.C., Hutchinson C.C. and Seward County C.C. Even more notably since 2000, Johnson County (NJCAA D-II, 2000), Cloud County (2001) and Seward County (2002) have all won NJCAA National Championships.
In men’s basketball the KJCCC has been the home for many NBA players before signing professional contracts or moving on to high-profile NCAA Division I basketball programs. In the history of the Jayhawk West Conference, there have been three programs that have won national championships and a total of 10 national titles have been won between the Western and Eastern divisions since 1953. Last season the men’s western conference proved to have as much parity as the conference had ever seen in recent memory. Midway through last season, six teams were separated by less than two games. To prove the success that western division programs had last season, eight-of-nine programs won at least 17 games and all nine teams won at least 15 games.

The men’s pre-season poll has 2006 co-champion, Dodge City Community College ranked No. 1. The Conquistador’s are led by returning sophomore, Charlie Coley, who was tabbed First Team All-Region VI as a freshman. Hutchinson (No. 2) receives a high ranking with first year head coach Ryan Swanson and returning 2006 Jayhawk West Freshman of the Year Nathan Brumfield. Swanson is no stranger to winning in the Jayhawk West Conference. Swanson led Garden City C.C. to a conference championship in 2004-2005, in his final season as the Broncbusters head coach.

Butler C.C. received the No. 3 ranking in the pre-season poll and has several newcomers listed as players-to-watch within the junior college ranks. Cloud County returns four players from last season’s co-championship season, including 6-foot-10-inch Cassin Diggs, who is considered among the best big-men in the nation. The Saints are listed at No. 4, and will look to several newcomers along with key sophomores to put Seward County back into the elite of the Jayhawk West Conference, where they have been throughout the tenure of 11th year Head Coach Dave Brown’s coaching career. Garden City (No. 5) will be guided by first-year head coach Kris Baumann, who takes the reigns after serving last year as an assistant for the Broncbusters. Baumann is the third head coach for Garden City in the last three seasons. The bottom half of the pre-season poll has Pratt at No. 7. The Beavers are just one-year removed from entering the season as the defending Region VI Champions. Following at No. 8 is Colby C.C., who returns the tallest player in the Region VI (7-foot-1-inch Jorge Canedo). Finishing out the poll is Barton County C.C. at No. 9. The Cougars are coming off two consecutive seasons where they have been ineligible for post-season play, but will be able to contend for a KJCCC title in 2006-2007.

Come be a part of the Saints Bookstore Basketball Benefit Night on Saturday, October 28 at 6:30 p.m. at the Green House. Help support Big Brothers Big Sisters and Lady Saints Basketball on Saturday night!