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Category: College

Mizzou men’s basketball inks seven-foot center Axel Okongo

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COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Men’s Basketball signed 7-foot junior college center Axel Okongo to its 2019 recruiting class, head coach Cuonzo Martin announced Wednesday. Okongo attended Northwest College in Wyoming for two seasons, shooting 52 percent from the field as a sophomore. He joins Kobe Brown, Tray Jackson and Mario McKinney, Jr., as newcomers heading into Mizzou’s 2019-20 campaign.

Okongo hails from Saacy-sur-Marne, France, where he lived throughout his childhood before moving to Canada to continue his basketball career at Thetford Prep Academy in Quebec. At Thetford, he played for the same coaches who mentored current Toronto Raptor, Chris Boucher. Before finishing his collegiate career at Oregon, Boucher landed at Northwest College in Wyoming, paving the connection for Okongo to follow a similar path.

“Axel is a guy who will go to battle to make himself and those around him better every single day,” Martin said. “He’s a talented rim-protector who moves extremely well at his size, and can get out and run and finish in transition. His determination to get better and his willingness to put in time to continually improve will make him successful on and off the court.”

Okongo is lauded for his defensive prowess by his coaches at both the prep and junior college levels, posting five or six blocked shots in a game on multiple occasions and averaging more than three swats per outing. In 22 game appearances in 2018-19, he pulled down 49 rebounds in 231 minutes.

A well-documented hard worker, Okongo balanced time as a student-athlete with a job on the school’s custodial staff to pay his way at his Northwest College. Following his time in Wyoming, the 7-footer earned spots in several Junior College showcases around the country.

Okongo shined at the Evan Turner Showcase in Chicago before signing at Mizzou. The 7-footer is set to bolster the Tigers’ frontcourt alongside experienced veterans Jeremiah Tilmon, Jr., Reed Nikko and Mitchell Smith.

— Mizzou Athletics —

Griffons’ Wicks finishes off 2019 men’s basketball recruiting class

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ST. JOSEPH – Missouri Western head men’s basketball coach Sundance Wicks has announced the signings of four student-athletes for the 2019-20 season.

JaRon Thames, Logan Dolan, Nico Felici and Caleb Bennett will join Reese Glover and Alex John, who signed during the early signing period, as new Griffons next season.

“Let me start off by saying that I could not be more proud of our assistants, Will Martin and Ty Danielson, and the job they did developing meaningful relationships and recruiting outstanding young men in our 2019 class,” Wicks said. “This class as a whole is exactly what we envisioned in regards to filling our program’s micro and macro needs. We have impact players surrounded with tough-minded winners.”

Caleb Bennett
6-5 | St. Joseph, Mo. | Lehigh University
Bennett returns home to St. Joseph after two years at Division I Lehigh. Before a late-season injury cut his sophomore year short, Bennett averaged 4.7 points and 1.9 rebounds for the Mountain Hawks. As a freshman at Lehigh, Bennett averaged 5.5 points and 2.3 rebounds with 24 assists and 11 steals. He scored a career-high 23 points vs. Boston University as a freshman and averaged 5.5 points and 2.3 rebounds over his two seasons. Bennett was a three-time All-State selection at Lafayette High School. Following his senior season, Bennett was the No. 3 ranked player in Missouri by Prep Hoops.

Wicks on Bennett: “Impact Player. There aren’t too many things you can say about CB that haven’t already been spoken about him as a basketball player. He is an elite athlete with a tremendous feel for the game. CB makes difficult plays look extremely easy! Hidden behind his athleticism is his ability to shoot the ball. The city of St. Joseph gets to welcome back with open arms one of the most electrifying players in this country. However, what I am most excited about is his locker room leadership. Caleb is a veteran player that will be a fourth-year junior when he suits up for the Griffs. Since my first meeting with CB, I knew he had the right soul for this program. I love how Caleb approaches responsibility and leadership and he is going to have a huge impact on this community and our program. He is the perfect fit!”

Logan Dolan
6-5 | Broken Arrow, Okla. | Broken Arrow High School
Dolan was named Frontier Valley All-Conference and to the Skiatook All-Tournament Team. He averaged 17 points, five rebounds and three assists per game as a senior.

Wicks on Dolan: “Sniper; flat out torch! Logan is a long, rangy shooter with a great feel for the game. What I love most about his game is how well he moves without the basketball and can score with his feet. Logan is a tireless worker and a flat out gym rat. When Logan adds some weight to his long frame he will be one of the more elite shooters in our program. Logan wanted to be a Griff and we love guys who want to be Griffs!”

Nico Felici
6-2 | Bellevue, Neb. | Bellevue West High School
A four-year starter at Bellevue West, Felici averaged 14.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and two assists in his career. He became the fourth 1,000 point scorer in Bellevue history and was an 82 percent free throw shooter and a 40 percent three-point shooter. Felici was names second team All-Metro Conference and first team Bellevue Leader.

Wicks on Felici: “Tough Minded Winner; absolute winner. As we began to recruit Nico all we kept hearing about was his innate toughness and how he was always considered the most important player on his championship-level teams year in and year out. He is all of that and more. He is the type of player that will do anything in his power to help his team win and win consistently. He spends countless hours in the gym and gets better every time he steps on the court. Nico has a high basketball IQ and makes the right plays when they are needed. His leadership will be ever evolving in our program and I believe we got a steal with him!”

JaRon Thames
6-5 | St. Louis, Mo. | Trinity Catholic High School
Thames averaged 15 points, six rebounds and five assists at Trinity Catholic. He was named All-Conference and All-State. Thames helped Trinity Catholic to a 25-4 record last season, losing in the Class 3 quarterfinals to eventual state champion Vashon.

Wicks on Thames: “Swiss Army Knife. If you were going to put a basketball player in a body, you would make it in a Thames Frame! JaRon has such a unique combination of skill and length and that means he has the chance to make an immediate impact in our program. JT reminds me of Magic Johnson! He’s a 6-6 point forward with beautiful passing skills, an outstanding feel in the open court, three-level scoring ability and is deceptively athletic. Once this community gets to know JT they will see he has a great personality, a big heart and is going to be very impactful Griff on the court and in the community!”

— MWSU Athletics —

Highland CC set to launch eSports program this fall

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Highland Community College announces the launch of competitive esports starting in the fall of 2019. Esports, a form of competition played through online video games, involves organized, multi- or single-player games with real-time strategy. This new form of gameplay allows skilled students new opportunities and outlets for engagement. Esports team members can join teams focusing on specific games already popular in the world of professional gaming.

Games currently in consideration for play include League of Legends, Overwatch, Super Smash Bros., Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Fortnite, Rocket League, FIFA, or Madden. As esports is often comprised of several different games played competitively, the esports program at Highland is in the midst of gauging interest from prospective students on what to offer.

HCC esports has joined the only official governing body for varsity esports, the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE). In addition, the process of developing a facility with top-flight hardware, computers, ultra-fast 1ms 4K gaming monitors, headsets, chairs, gaming keyboards, and mice has begun with play to start this fall. Players will compete on PC, Xbox and PlayStation platforms.

Josh Clary, Residence/Student Life Assistant Director at Highland has been selected to lead the program. Clary started his gaming career at a young age and has continued to enjoy gaming throughout his young professional career. His passion isn’t just in the games, but getting students engaged and excited to go to college. “My goal as the coach of esports is to recruit students that have a genuine passion for becoming a competitive gamer, promote their skills to increase their likelihood of gaming competitively on a D1 level, and create a family atmosphere where we all celebrate our wins and losses while growing as a team,” commented Clary.

“Josh will not only bring knowledge of gaming but will also lay a foundation of success for the program. His ability to communicate and build relationships will be one of his biggest assets in starting our esports program at HCC,” mentioned Tyler Nordman, Director of Athletics at Highland.

With competition to begin this fall, Highland Community College is actively recruiting students interested in competing in esports at HCC.

Director of Athletics, Tyler Nordman, commented “I am excited to add esports to our different program/sport offerings at HCC this year. As with many other sports, esports will provide students with a number of great opportunities. It is an opportunity to come to college and get an education while doing something they love and are passionate about. Esports is one of the fasting growing sports across the country and we are happy to get in the mix and be offering it at HCC.”

If you are a prospective gamer and interested in participating in this new program or would like more information on esports at Highland Community College, contact head coach Josh Clary at [email protected] or by phone at 785-442-6132. You can also fill out the ‘Prospective Gamer’ form at scottieathletics.com/esports.

— HCC Press Release —

Erstad steps down as Nebraska baseball coach

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Nebraska Head Baseball Coach Darin Erstad announced Monday afternoon that he has resigned from his position. Erstad guided the Husker program for the past eight seasons, leading the Huskers to a Big Ten Championship and four NCAA Regional appearances.

“I have made the extremely difficult decision to step away from coaching,” Erstad said. “I love this team. I love our staff and I love Nebraska. The bottom line is I do not want to miss seeing our kids grow up. I want to thank our administration and academic staff for all of their support over the last eight years. GBR forever.”

Nebraska Athletic Director Bill Moos said Erstad was the right individual to lead the Husker program, but understands Erstad’s choice to spend more time with his family.

“Darin earned the right to lead this baseball program well into the future, and I was hopeful that would be the case,” Moos said. “Darin loved the opportunity to represent Nebraska every day and did an outstanding job. He’s a Nebraska guy who loves this program and is a proven winner. With all that said, I respect and admire that Darin’s priority now is to spend more time with his family as his children grow up.”

Erstad took over the Nebraska program in June of 2011, and finished with a record of 267-193-1. Erstad’s 2017 team captured the Big Ten regular-season title and he was named Big Ten Coach of the Year for his leadership. Four of his eight teams finished second or better in the conference, and his teams reached the Big Ten tournament championship game in 2013, 2014 and 2019. Nebraska qualified for NCAA Regional play in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2019.

The Jamestown, N.D., native is one of the top players in Nebraska baseball history. A two-sport star at Nebraska, Erstad was a first-team All-American and Big Eight Co-Player of the Year in 1995. In addition, Erstad was a two-time academic all-conference pick, and was the starting punter on Nebraska’s 1994 national championship football team. He was inducted into the Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame in September of 2018.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 1995 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, Erstad spent the majority of his career playing for the Angels, where he won three Gold Gloves (2000-02-04) and was selected for the American League All-Star team in 1998 and 2000. He was part of the Angels 2002 World Series Champion team.

— NU Athletics —

Nebraska’s season ends with loss to UConn in NCAA baseball regional

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Oklahoma City, Okla. – The Nebraska baseball team (32-24) fell to UConn, 16-1, in an NCAA Regional elimination game at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark on Sunday afternoon.

The Huskers, making their fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in the last six years, saw their 2019 season come to an end after going 1-2 at the Oklahoma City Regional. It marked Nebraska’s 16th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history, and 13th appearance in the last 21 years.

Senior right-hander Reece Eddins, making his 13th start of the season, went 4.1 innings and recorded four strikeouts. Nebraska saw relief outings from Shay Schanaman, Max Schreiber, Mike Waldron, Ethan Frazier, Chad Luensmann, Ben Klenke and Kyle Perry.

In the opening frame, UConn scored one run on two hits and left two runners stranded to take the early lead. The Huskers went down in order in the bottom of the first inning.

The Huskies added a run in the top of the second, as Kyler Fedko hit a solo home run. UConn left one runner stranded, but took a 2-0 lead. Angelo Altavilla managed Nebraska’s first hit of the game with his single in the bottom of the second, but he was left on base.

UConn’s first two batters in the top of the third each singled and advanced to second and third via sacrifice bunt. A strikeout-throw out play ended the inning. NU was retired in order in the bottom of the third.

In the top of the fourth, Connecticut added one run to build a 3-0 advantage. The Huskies had a one-out triple before a bunt single brought in the runner from third. Nebraska scored one run in the bottom of the fourth. Aaron Palensky hit a one-out single before advancing to second on a wild pitch. Spencer Schwellenbach drew a walk to put two runners on. Altavilla drove in Palensky with an RBI single before a double play ended the inning.

UConn scored one run in the top of the fifth to take a 4-1 lead. The Huskies managed two hits during the frame to extend its advantage. NU went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the fifth.

Connecticut tacked on another run in the top of the sixth to build a 5-1 lead. UConn left two runners on base during the inning. In the bottom of the sixth, the Huskers were retired in order.

The Huskies had one baserunner via walk in the top of the seventh, but left him stranded as the score remained 5-1. For the third consecutive inning, all three Husker batters were retired.

UConn added four runs on four hits in the top of the eighth to take a 9-1 lead. In the bottom of the eighth, Alex Henwood and Mojo Hagge each singled, but were left on base as each of the other three Husker batters flied out.

In the top of the ninth, the Huskies scored seven runs on six hits to extend their lead to 16-1. NU was retired in order with a strikeout and two flyouts.

— NU Athletics —

MWSU announces women’s basketball Elite Camp; cancellation of Girls Camp

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ST. JOSEPH – Missouri Western head women’s basketball coach Candi Whitaker has announced the cancellation of the Griffon Girls Basketball Camp and the addition of the Candace Whitaker Elite Camp.

The decision to cancel the previously scheduled camps was based on the timing of the camps coming during a prime recruiting period for the program. Coach Whitaker has high expectations for camps and wants to ensure the quality and standard are at the level she and her first-year staff believe in. They look forward to including camps for all ages in the years to come.

Added to the camp schedule is the Elite Camp which will be hosted July 30 from 1 to 5 p.m. in the Looney Complex at Missouri Western. The camp is designed for elite level players (entering 7th-12th grades) to learn from the Missouri Western Women’s Basketball coaching staff. The goal is to give campers the tools to develop a fundamental foundation and grow as a more complete basketball player. Elite Camp will allow players to showcase their skills against other elite players and in front of the MWSU staff. Camp highlights will include individual offensive skill development, MWSU offensive and defensive team concepts and competition against other elite players.

For more information or to register for the Elite Camp, click the link above for the camp flyer.

— MWSU Athletics —

Grimes pulls name from NBA Draft but will transfer from Kansas

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LAWRENCE, Kan. – Guard Quentin Grimes has pulled his named from the 2019 NBA Draft and will enter the transfer portal, KU head coach Bill Self announced Wednesday.

“We’ve all enjoyed coaching Quentin this past year and certainly appreciate his efforts,” Self said. “We initially anticipated him staying in the draft but he and his family decided to return to college but not return to the University of Kansas. We totally support and respect Quentin and his decision and wish him the very best moving forward. We believe Quentin will have a long professional basketball career and look forward to watching his development.”

As a freshman, Grimes started every game in 2018-19 and averaged 8.4 points and 2.5 rebounds per game for the Jayhawks. The 6-foot-5, 210-pound, guard from The Woodlands, Texas, had a solid Big 12 Championship where he averaged 13.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.0 steals with six 3-pointers made in KU’s route to the title game. Grimes finished second on the team with 54 3-pointers made and had 13 games with 10 or more points. He scored a season-high 21 points in KU’s season-opening win against Michigan State in the Champions Classic. He was later named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week for his efforts against the Spartans.

Following the season, Grimes declared for the 2019 NBA and participated in the NBA Combine in addition to working out for multiple NBA teams.

— KU Athletics —

Mizzou/Arkansas game picked up by CBS on November 29

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COLUMBIA, Mo. – For the sixth consecutive season, Mizzou Football will play its annual SEC West crossover rival Arkansas on the Friday following Thanksgiving on CBS, announced today by CBS and the SEC. The Battle Line Rivalry Presented by Shelter Insurance® will kick off at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 29, in Little Rock, in front of a national television audience on CBS.

Mizzou and Arkansas began playing the annual rivalry game on the Friday before Thanksgiving during the 2014 season, which was the second of back-to-back SEC East titles for Missouri. The Tigers won that game, 21-14, and are 4-1 against the Razorbacks since the annual series shifted to the Friday following Thanksgiving. Mizzou won last year’s meeting in dominant fashion, shutting out the Razorbacks, 38-0, at Memorial Stadium. Mizzou and Arkansas have met 10 times in the all-time series history, with Arkansas holding a slight 6-4 advantage. Mizzou, however, has won the last three meetings as head coach Barry Odom has never lost to Arkansas.

For just the second time in the series history, the game will be played in Little Rock rather than in Arkansas’ David W. Reynolds Stadium in Fayetteville. Mizzou and Arkansas last played in Little Rock during the 1963 season, a 7-6 Mizzou win.

Mizzou Football, ranked No. 23 by Athlon Sports in the preseason, opens its season on Aug. 31 in a true road tilt at Wyoming before returning home the following week for the home opener against West Virginia on Sept. 7.

— Mizzou Athletics —

K-State hires Joe Hall as Director of Football Student-Athlete Development

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MANHATTAN, Kan. – Former Kansas State running back Joe Hall has been hired as the Director of Football Student-Athlete Development, head coach Chris Klieman announced Wednesday.

In his role, Hall will create, develop and implement a student-athlete development program that fosters an environment of well-being and achievement. He will serve as the football program’s liaison to various K-State Athletics support areas, including sport psychologist, athletic trainers, strength and conditioning coaches and student-athlete services, in addition to support services on campus. Hall will also serve as the program’s liaison between the program and both university and community organizations, including community-outreach organizations.

“One of our top priorities in our first year was to hire a specialized individual who can assist our guys with getting acclimated to being a football student-athlete as well as helping them develop into young men who have a positive impact on our community,” Klieman said. “In Joe, not only did we find a dynamic individual who has experience in this area, but he also has lived it as a football student-athlete here at K-State. We are thrilled for him to join our staff and know he will have a tremendous impact on our players.”

Most recently, Hall has worked as a behavior interventionist and counselor at various schools throughout northeast Kansas, including Junction City High School and Topeka West High School. While working in those schools, he helped counsel students from all walks of life, including military backgrounds, low socioeconomic backgrounds and students with behavioral issues.

Hall’s work in schools came after serving three seasons as an assistant coach at MidAmerica Nazarene University in Olathe, Kansas. While at NMU, Hall began to transition to off-the-field work by guiding a working group of student-athletes with children, serving as a diversity council member and as a community liaison.

A native of Compton, California, Hall lettered two years for the Wildcats after transferring from Palomar Community College. He totaled 864 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on 160 carries during his two seasons, including a 613-yard, six-touchdown performance as a junior in 1999. That season featured a stretch of three-straight games with 100 rushing yards, including a career-best 195 yards against Utah State. Hall went on to play parts of four seasons in the NFL.

Hall obtained his bachelor’s degree from Kansas State in 2012, a master’s of science in management from MidAmerica Nazarene in 2015 and a master’s in school counseling from Kansas State in 2017. He is currently working toward his doctorate degree in organizational leadership.

— K-State Athletics —

Nebraska gets at-large berth to NCAA baseball tournament

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For the fourth time in six years, the Nebraska baseball team is heading to the NCAA Tournament.

The Huskers (31-22) will travel to the Oklahoma City Regional this weekend, along with No. 9 national seed Oklahoma State, UConn and Harvard. NU will represent the No. 3 seed in the Regional.

It marks Nebraska’s 16th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history, and the 13th appearance in the last 21 years. Under Head Coach Darin Erstad, the Huskers previously qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 2014, 2016 and 2017.

The Huskers open the tournament on Friday against UConn, starting at noon (CT) on ESPN3. Oklahoma State and Harvard face off Friday at 6 p.m. (CT) on ESPN3.

— NU Athletics —

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