OttawaHerald.com -- Community News. Community Connections.

	Franklin County, Kansas, USA

Subscriber Services Home Delivery Gift Subscription Stop-Start Delivery Missing Paper Back Issues Newsstand Locations Shopper Locations

Advertising Services Manage Your Account Place a Classified Ad Place a Display Ad Advertise Online Business Finder Directory

Other Services Submit News Laminated Items Photos & Keepsakes Article Archives Contact Us History of the Herald Our Policies

Suggest a poll topic

2009-11-21

2009-11-18

2009-11-05

Agriculture

Lifestyles

Wednesday, October 14, 2009 11:21 PM

File photo/The Ottawa Herald

Ottawa University point guard Isaac Johnston is the only returning starter for the Braves basketball team from the 2008-09 NAIA National Tournament squad. The Ottawa men were selected seventh and eighth Wednesday in the preseason conference polls.

Transition period could make for wild KCAC men's race

Sterling top pick in women's poll

By Greg Mast/Herald Sports Editor

WICHITA — This could be a wild Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference basketball season, especially for the men.

On paper, many teams have holes to fill, but also return experienced players.

It made for a topsy-turvy vote Wednesday by the media and coaches during the annual KCAC Media Day in Wichita.

The coaches selected Saint Mary and Friends as the top picks, one point apart, followed by Sterling, Kansas Wesleyan, McPherson, Southwestern, Bethany, Ottawa, Tabor and Bethel.

The media had Southwestern and Sterling at the top followed by Saint Mary, Friends, McPherson, Wesleyan, Ottawa, Tabor, Bethany and Bethel.

“The league is in transition,” veteran Ottawa coach Andy Carrier said. “The league is wide open. That gives us a chance. There is a lot of parity in the league.”

The reason for optimism among many teams is the fact there is not one dominate team. All the coaches lamented about different holes needed to fill.

Sterling, the defending regular season champs, lost all of its front court players but returns two top guards.

Ottawa lost nine seniors from its NAIA National Tournament team and nearly all of its scoring.

“We are very young and inexperienced,” Carrier said.

Southwestern, under new coach Matt O’Brien, who played for Friends from 2000 to 2003, returns a dominate player in 6-foot-11 senior, David King.

“We have a lot of ifs,” O’Brien said. “They are learning a whole new system. We have a solid group.”

Friends has depth in the post. Bethany returns three starters, while Saint Mary has just two returners.

“Experience wins,” Carrier said.

The Braves coach told the media and coaches the Braves have a strong freshman class.

“At some point, we will be a good basketball team,” Carrier said.

Ottawa returns starting sophomore point guard Isaac Johnston, an all-KCAC freshman team selection. Other top returners are junior Jacob Carter and sophomore guard Demarcus Doucette.

“It is an exciting time for me,” Carrier said. “It will be fun to watch them grow. It will be a journey.”

A Sterling Dynasty

The Sterling women’s basketball program keeps reloading under Lonnie Kruse, who has more than 600 victories in 28 seasons.

The Lady Warriors were the favorites again, but the vote was close. In fact, Sterling and Southwestern tied with 92 points each in the coaches poll. Sterling had six first-place votes, while Southwestern had four.

Sterling had nine first-place votes to four for Southwestern in the media poll.

“Sterling will get that respect,” Ottawa coach Bruce Tate said. “Lonnie does a great job.”

The women’s polls also were jumbled past the top two.

The coaches had Friends third, followed by Bethel, Kansas Wesleyan, Ottawa, Tabor, Bethany, Saint Mary and McPherson.

The media had Wesleyan third, followed by Ottawa, Friends, Bethel, Tabor, Bethany, Saint Mary and McPherson.

“Southwestern will be really good,” Tate said.

The coach said third through sixth could be a dogfight.

“There is no big-time all-conference player returning for those teams,” he said.

The main ingredient for those other teams to be in the top half will be chemistry.

“It will be very competitive,” Tate said. “There will be a surprise team. I hope that is us.”

The reason for his optimism is the Lady Braves return three starters and eight letterwinners from last year’s 9-20 squad that was fifth in the KCAC.

Tate said those returners have worked hard to improve and have become closer teammates.

“We are one ... our theme is the one concept,” Tate said. “They trust each other.”

Greg Mast can be reached at sports@ottawaherald.com