By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
After coming up short in the Region VI Championship game last year, and missing out on the National Tournament, the Barton Community College men’s basketball team had a three-word message emphasized this offseason…leave no doubt.
“We fell short last year, and the guys were determined to get it done this year,” said head coach Jeremy Coombs.
In junior college basketball, only 24 teams make the men’s National Tournament held in Hutchinson each year. Of those 24 teams, 16 are automatic qualifiers from winning their district tournament, meaning there are just eight at-large bids for the entire country that are selected for the National Tournament that do not win their district title game.
Even though the Cougars were the #1 team in the country heading into the District Championship game last weekend in Hutchinson, Barton left no doubt on their involvement in the National Tournament by defeating Hutchinson Community College 74-57.
“It’s unbelievable,” said third-year coach Coombs. “We’ve worked so hard to get to this point. I’m really proud of these guys. They’re resilient. They’re tough. They’ve worked a long time for this.”
The 2023-2024 season has already been a year of milestones and looking back at previous records in Barton’s 56-year basketball history.
- At 32-1, Barton has matched their best start in school history set in the 1999-2000
season.
- The Cougars’ #1-ranking is the first time on top of the national basketball
poll since 2002.
- The current 23-game win streak matches the 4th
longest streak in school history set in 1998.
- This year marks the 4th
time in program history with 30 or more wins.
- With a 13-0 record in away games,
Barton has recorded the program's best road mark.
- With the win against
Hutchinson in the Region VI Championship last weekend, the Cougars have won six
straight games over the Blue Dragons, a feat never accomplished in the
series with Hutch that started in 1970.
“The work we put in throughout the season has paid off,” said sophomore Ring Malith. “We fell short last year, and we came in with the mindset that we have to get it for sure.”
After playing in 31 games, including seven starts his freshman year in 2021-2022, Myles Thompson suffered through a bizarre infection before the start of last season that sent him to the hospital. Thompson eventually earned a redshirt year and came back for a third season with Barton.
“It’s satisfying when the buzzer goes off at the end of the game, and you have accomplished a goal that you had when you started the season,” said Thompson.
From Hutchinson, Thompson had 24 points and nine rebounds in his hometown last Saturday. In the last three games playing in Hutchinson, Thompson has scored 24, 17 and 19 points.
“I was a huge fan of Hutch growing up,” said Thompson. “It’s part of the reason I went the junior college route because I knew the level of basketball this was and where it can take guys. It’s motivating to play back in Hutch and prove that I made the right choice for me to play at Barton.”
The Cougars will be back at the Hutchinson Sports Arena for the NJCAA National Tournament on Monday, March 25 at 2:30 p.m. As the #1-seed in this year’s tournament, Barton received a bye and will await an opponent for a “Sweet 16” game.
Along with Malith and Thompson, Barton brought back Mozae Downing-Rivers, Christian Bowen-Webb, Amiri Ndayisaba, Stefan Spray and Cooper Jackson this year. The Cougars added freshmen Keandre Kindell, Brent Moss, Aleng Bol and transfers Fawaz Surakat and Lajae Jones.
Jones spent a season at Tarleton State University before transferring to Barton. The Cougars’ leading scorer (15 PPG) and rebounder (9 RPG) was named the MVP of the Region VI Tournament and Thompson was selected to the All-Tournament Team.
“Lajae has been big-time,” said Coombs. “The guys that you expected to step up, they did that. “We’ve had lots of other guys step up throughout the season.”
This year marks the 5th time Barton has made it to the National Tournament with previous appearances in 2018, 2001, 1999 and 1991. The Cougars have an 11-4 record at the National Tournament and have won at least two games in each appearance.
The last #1-seed to lose their first game at the tournament was Indian Hills in 2018. Barton defeated the previously undefeated Warriors that year in overtime.
“We’re still hungry,” said Malith. “We just have to stay locked in and get back to work. I know the guys don’t really want to take days off. The guys are hungry.”
Barton’s game Monday in the National Tournament will be broadcast on 104.3 FM and online at b1043.net.
View the 2024 NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship bracket HERE.
Previous results of Barton basketball at the NJCAA National Championships
2018
W 86-63 vs Tyler Junior College (TX)
W 85-83 OT vs Indian Hills Community College (IA)
L 82-80 vs Eastern Florida State
2001
L 90-77 Wabash Valley College (IL)
W 67-64 vs Western Nebraska Community College
W 111-85 vs Southwest Tennessee Community College
W 82-80 vs Northwest Mississippi Community College
1999
W 120-86 vs Aquinas College (TN)
W 94-75 vs Bacone College (OK)
W 103-90 vs Kennedy-King College (IL)
L 100-86 vs Indian Hills Community College (IA)
1991
W 111-86 vs Kaskaskia College (IL)
W 101-94 vs Faulkner State Community College (AL)
L 105-99 vs Arizona Western College
W 98-88 vs Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College