Cowboys One Win Away from Reaching NJCAA Elite 8; Coffeyville Up Next for Connors
Connors Cowboys are just one win away from reaching the Elite Eight of the National Junior College Athletic Association for the fourth time under head coach Bill Muse.
HUTCHINSON, KAN. –Connors Cowboys are just one win away from reaching the Elite Eight of the National Junior College Athletic Association for the fourth time under head coach Bill Muse.
The team blocking the 13TH-ranked and 12TH seeded Cowboys (30-3) path is the fifth-seeded Coffeyville Red Ravens (29-4) on Wednesday. Tip-off is 2 p.m. at the Sports Arena.
Connors is on an 8-game winning streak, having won their fifth consecutive Oklahoma Collegiate Athletic Conference title and second straight Region II championship.
This is the second straight year Connors reached the Sweet 16, defeating Spartanburg, S.C. a year ago before losing to San Jacinto, Texas.
Coffeyville is entering the Connors clash with a 17-game winning streak and was the Jayhawk Conference regular season champion and Region IV champion, defeating Hutchinson for the title.
"We know there will be a lot of Kansas fans at the game, but we have four sophomores that start and a real quality freshman in Mason (Jones) and I know they will be ready," said Muse.
"Fortunately we had a day off to get ready for them. I will be a very competitive game."
When asked if he thought the Cowboys would be a big underdog in the game, Muse said "I've been here so many times (10); playing Hutch would be a big underdog for the national championship would qualify for being a big underdog.
"Playing another Kansas team is an advantage for them with the crowd, but they (fans) are not the ones playing on the court," said Muse.
Red Ravens' point guard Travis Washington (14.0) who was first team All-Conference, is joined by first team selection Marvin Johnson (13.0) and second team members Casey Benton (10.4) and Keon Queen (7.4) an honorable mention selection. Anthony Jones is averaging 10.6 points a game Cedric Roland 9.5 points.
The Red Ravens has sparked them in the late season run allowing just 68 points a game to the opposition and holding them to 40 percent shooting from the field.
Coffeyville coach Jay Herkelman who is in his 23rd season, will be making is ninth appearance in The Tournament.
Cowboys under Muse (622-222) are making their 10th appearance. Connors who defeated Central Georgia Tech 84-78 in the first round Monday, are making back-to-back NJCAA Tournament appearances.
Connors enters the Coffeyville fray as one of the highest scoring clubs in the tournament, averaging 91 points an outing lead by All-Region and Oklahoma Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year Ra'Shawn Langston.
The Cowboys have surpassed the century mark nine times this season.
Langston, sophomore from Little Rock, Ark., is averaging 19.6 per game and is joined by freshman Mason Jones, from DeSota, Texas, a first team All-OCAC All-Conference pick is averaging 15.3 points and is followed by Darius Roy, a transfer from Mercer University is scoring at a 12.5 clip and Bishop Coulter a transfer from Ranger Junior College at 11.6 points an outing.
Zaph Bobb a sophomore from Pryor is scoring 7.5 points a game and 5.6 rebounds an outing.