By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Another season of prep hoops is just around the corner. Ellinwood's Brit Dutton is ending some of the drama early. Earlier this week, the senior made a verbal commitment to continue his basketball career next season at The University of Illinois-Springfield (UIS).
Dutton learned of the school - located eight hours away from home and three hours from Chicago - from Ellinwood High School coach Derek Joiner, who coached with current UIS coach Matt Brock at Pittsburg State. Brock eventually asked Dutton to make an official visit, and Dutton liked what he saw.
"All the coaches were real nice," he said. "I feel like they all are good coaches and know what they're doing. I like the team, like the facilities, the school. It seems like a real nice area."
The Prairie Stars finished at 12-17 last year in Brock's fourth season with the program. This year's squad will be relatively young with just three seniors, but Dutton is still ready to battle for a starting spot next year.
"It's college basketball, and it's the next-highest level you can go," he said. "I'm still able to play basketball, which is ultimately what I wanted to do."
But first things first, Dutton still has a season left at Ellinwood. The Eagles finished last year at 20-3, and are 56-13 in Dutton's first three seasons. But the team has yet to make it to the state tournament
"Our expectation every year has been to make it to state," Dutton said. "Hopefully this year we're able to make it happen. We're all going to work hard, have to be leaders, and just get it done this year."
Last February, Dutton surpassed 1,400 career points at Ellinwood to break the school's previous scoring record set in 1986. He scored 43 points in a win against Ness City as a sophomore, then set the school's individual-game record with a 48-point night last December. He scored 63 points in the first two games of his junior year to become just the third EHS player to reach 1,000 career points. Heading into his final season, Dutton has four of Ellinwood's top-five single-game scoring performances.
"We knew as Brit was growing up he was going to have an impact on our program," Joiner said. "We were also fortunate to have other good players, along with quality parents, to pair with him. We've been ranked all three of his first seasons, the No. 1 seed in substate all three years, and currently on something like a 20-game league winning streak.
"I would say our program has faired well during his time here so far. It's hard to believe it's his last season already. I'm sure the league opponents don't feel that way. They probably feel like he's been here forever because he's had an impact from his freshman year on."
Last season Dutton paced the Eagles at 24.4 points and 2.5 steals a night. His 3.6 assists a game were second on the team but included some highlight-worthy gems. Dutton shot 54 percent from the floor, including 40 percent from behind the arc, and he was an 80-percent shooter from the foul stripe.
That complete game, complete with a good handle, is why Joiner thinks Dutton has what it takes to succeed at the next level.
"The college game and the game of basketball is valuing skill more and more, and Brit is flush with skill," Joiner said. "Brit has attributes that translate well to the next level. Number one, Brit can really shoot. He has the ballhandling skills to deal with the athletic ability of the next level.
"What I think sets him apart from a lot of high school kids when it comes to a college skill is Brit's ability to finish 10 feet and in. He can finish with either hand. He can use the floater. He can use the pull-up. He can jump off either leg. So, Brit is more equipped than most to deal with the 6-8 kids on the help side that he will see at the collegiate level. Brit can also play the one or the two so that versatility is a plus for him."
Dutton is the son of Meredith Joiner and Jeremy Dutton. The Eagles open the 2022-23 high school season on Dec. 2 with a home game against LaCrosse.