Juco Hoop Scoop Previews its Preseason Top 25

With the start of the 2021-22 NJCAA Men’s DI Basketball season rolling out November 1, it’s time to take an inside look at some of the nations anticipated top teams. With the transfer portal playing a huge part in roster filling in today’s world, some teams have replaced almost their entire rosters with defectors from other Juco teams and/or NCAA DI talents. Others, have a solid nucleus of returning players who played significant parts in their teams success last year. Covid-19 also changed the horizon of college sports by loosening eligibility requirements on student athletes. Many who competed this past season will not have to count it towards their eligibility clock. Instead, those who qualify, will receive an extra year to compete.

Here are the previews for the preseason top five teams as listed in the JHS Top 25:

#1 Salt Lake CC (Taylorsville, UT) – Bruins – Region 18 – West District

Head Coach Kyle Taylor (UCLA/Northwest Missouri State) – 3rd year (49-9) – #13 in final 2021 poll

Asst. Coaches: CJ Killin, Nick Covington, Ramy Ahmad

Last year the Bruins finished 20-5, losing to College of Southern Idaho in the Rocky Mountain District Championship. Receiving an At-Large Bid to the National Tournament, the Bruins lost in the first round to upstart South Georgia State College 93-89. The 20 win season was the 17th consecutive time Salt Lake CC has reach that mark. The Bruins have qualified for “Hutch” 9 times and have two National Championship Trophies on display (2009 & 2016).

Of SLCC’s nine appearances at the National Tournament, eight of those have come since 2008. Their first was in 1994. What’s more, the team has been trekking it to Hutch in three of the last four years, and six of the last eight, including back to back in 2020 and 2021. Both of those under Coach Taylor’s mentorship.

The Bruins were West District Champs in 2020, and entered the National Tournament as the #4 Seed. Unfortunately, if you remember, Covid forced the cancellation of The Tournament that year, shutting down everyone’s hopes and dreams of a National Championship.

The Bruins kick off the season on Nov. 5 & 6 in the Jump Start classic at Bruin Arena vs. Northeastern Junior College (CO) and Utah State -Eastern.

Here is the 2021-22 preview for the Salt Lake CC Bruins:

Projected Starters:

Chase Adams, 5’8, 150, sophomore, point guard, Chicago, IL…MM-LM…D1    transfer from Portland, where he was an off and on starer. Led the team in assists with 117 as a freshman. Chase averaged 7.1 points, 3.7 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game. Chase is a terrific floor general who is a dynamic playmaker with elite quickness, he is also a great on ball defender who can dictate the pace of the game at both ends of the floor.

Jordan Brinson, 6’2, 185, sophomore, guard, Inglewood, CA…MM-LM…two-time D1 transfer from Utah Valley and UAB. Jordan averaged 3.4 points and 3.4 rebounds in 26 games at UAB, then 5.0 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists at Utah Valley in 12 games. Jordan has an incredible first step and great burst. He is a three-level scorer who has fantastic hands on defense to get lots of steals and deflections.

Quincy McGriff, 6’6, 205, freshman, guard, Los Angeles, CA…HM-MM…non-qualifier who had a fantastic freshmen year at Salt Lake last season averaging 10.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists while shooting 42% from the 3pt line and leading us to the NJCAA National Tournament. Quincy is a big guard who is capable of playing the point and playing as a shooter and scorer off the ball as well. Quincy is a vert talented playmaker who has a great feel and IQ. He is an elite shooter as well.

Addison Patterson, considered the Bruins top newcomer, 6’7, 200, sophomore, wing, Toronto, Canada…HM-MM…D1 transfer from Oregon where he averaged 4.6 points and 1.3 rebounds while appearing in 28 games. He shot 56% from the field and 36% from 3 as a freshman at Oregon. Addison is a big wing with guard skills who is dynamic with the ball in his hands. He is a scorer who has a respectable shot from 3 and can hurt you in a variety of ways.

Festus Ndumanya, 6’7, 225, sophomore, forward, Anambra, Nigeria…MM-LM…D1 transfer from Cal State Northridge where he was an off and on starter who averaged 4.8 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. Festus is a big, physical and strong undersized post player who is a great athlete. He has nice touch to 15 feet on his jumper, has a high motor and rebounds the ball extremely well. He is a good finisher who plays above the rim.

Other Key Players:

Max Watson, 6’5, 195, freshman, wing, Brigham City, UT…LM…Max is another key returner for us from last season’s NJCAA National Tournament team who averaged 8.8 points and 2.3 rebounds per game while shooting 35% from 3 and 76% from the FT line. Max is a very good catch and shoot 3pt shooter with good range. Max is a good athlete, especially for a shooter, and rebounds the ball well on the defensive end of the floor and in traffic. Max has a high IQ, can play without the ball in his hands and moves well off the ball.

Marion Humphrey, 6’3, 185, sophomore, guard, Hoover, AL…LM…D1 transfer from San Diego where he started 29 of 32 games and averaged 6.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists. Marion is a high-level athlete who moves fluidly on the court. Marion is a fantastic on ball defender with great length and physicality. Marion is a great driver who has a nice floater and pull up game. He is a good playmaker who can get by his defender and into the open floor to make decisions.

Doctor Bradley, 6’8, 195, freshman, wing, Los Angeles, CA…LM…D1 transfer from Cal State Fullerton where he averaged 5.3 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. Doc is a high-flying athlete who has great quickness, jumping ability and the ability to change directions on a dime. Doc is a talented downhill driver and finisher and moves well off the ball. He is an elite defender, good rebounder and capable shot blocker with a lot of versatility.

Jackson Last, 6’5, 195, freshman, wing, Hurricane, UT…LM…Jackson is our third and final returner from last season, coming back for his COVID freshman year. Jackson had a great year for Salt Lake averaging 7.0 points and 5.0 rebounds while playing in all 25 games. Jackson is a very versatile, do it all wing with great size, good IQ and a solid, physical frame. Jackson shot 37% from 3 last year and is a capable shooter and driver that you have to respect. He plays hard, is a quality team, fierce competitor and winner.  

Coach Taylor’s Summary: After back to back years of qualifying for the National Tournament, we look to build on that success this season. The team has a nice balance with 3 returners, 6 D1 transfers and 3 LDS return missionaries, giving us a very experienced and mature roster. Playmaking and defense will be the teams strengths, with enough good 3pt shooters to force teams to defend the 3pt line. The team was built with not a ton of size in the front court, so there isn’t a true post on the roster, but seven players are at least 6’6. Versatility, guard play and the ability to score from multiple positions will be the highlight of this team. Power Ratings: Offense- 4 Defense- 5 Rebounding- 3 Playmaking- 5

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#2 Chipola College (Marianna, FL) – Indians – Region 8 – South Atlantic District

Head Coach Donnie Tyndall (Morehead State) – 2nd year (23-5) 10th overall (183-127) – #9 in 2021 final poll

Asst. Coaches: Brandon Shingles, James Demopoulos, Zack VerHulst

Chipola qualified for the 2020-21 National Tournament in Tyndall’s first year at the helm. They were South Atlantic District Champs and earned a #6 Seed. It was the first time since 2014 the Indians had made it to Hutchinson, KS, the site of the Men’s DI National Championship since 1949.

The Indians made their way to the Semifinals with victories over Shelton State CC (AL) 73-60, and fellow FSCAA/Region 8 competitor Indian River CC, 78-75, in the first two rounds. Indian River was the same team they defeated in the District Championship game to earn the automatic bid to Hutch.

In the final four, Chipola ran into eventual champion Coffeyville CC (KS), in one of the best defensive duels of the tournament. The Indians fell behind by 14, seven minutes into the second half, after leading by one at halftime (29-28). Coffeyville flat-line for the next five minutes while Chipola ran off 16 straight to take the lead. A chess match ensued, but Coffeyville escaped with a 66-63 win and a date in the finals. Chipola has advanced to the Championship game twice in their history, finishing as runners-up both times (1974 & 2007).

Overall, Chipola made their 16th showing at Hutch in 2021. Under Tyndall, the Indians hope to become a re-surging “old guard” in Juco Men’s DI basketball, as nine of their previous Hutch trips came before the turn of the millennium. Five of the other 7 took place before 2010, qualifying five times in six years from 2004-2009.

The Indians open the season Nov. 1 at home vs. Davidson-Davie CC, before hosting Marion Military Institute (AL) and Southwest Tennessee CC on Nov. 5/6 in the Milton Johnson Classic

Here is the 2021-22 preview for the Chipola College Indians:

(After several failed contact attempts with Chipola coaches over the last several weeks, this review is solely the words of Juco Hoop Scoop)

Last Season: 23-5, 13-3 (co-champs in FSCAA Panhandle Conference), lost in semifinals of NJCAA National Championship to eventual Champion Coffeyville CC

Key Losses: Jaeden Zackery, 6’2″ FR, Salem WI, started all 28 games, 3rd team NJCAA All-American,12 ppg, 4 rpg, 4 apg now at Boston College; Naheem McLeod, 7’3″ FR, Philadelphia, PA, started 19 games, 6 ppg/4rpg, now at Florida State University; Bryce Zephir, 6’4″ FR, Carson, CA, 6 ppg (lead team in 3pt FG % – 50%), now at North Texas University

Key Returners: Carlos Remus, 6’3″ SO G, Venezuela, 6’3″ SO, 13.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.5 apg, ave. 17 ppg during postseason (27 twice, last in semifinal loss to Coffeyville CC (27 of team’s 63); Nae’kwan Tomlin, 6’10” SO G, New York NY, 11 ppg/5 rpg; Lance Erving, 6’3″ SO G, Leesburg, FL, 8.4 ppg

Other returners: Kris Garner, 6’1″ SO G, Albany GA, played in 22 games, 6 ppg; Dontae Walker, 6’5″ FR F, Bronx NY, 5.4 ppg/3.3 rpg; Achor Achor, 6’9″ FR G, Australia, 4ppg/3rpg; Faison Fields, 6’9″ FR F, Grand Rapids IA, 2.8 ppg; Shay Davis, 6’0″ FR G, Orlando FL, 1.2 ppg

Newcomers: Roddrick Henry III, 6’6″ FR F, Orlando FL, Oak Ridge HS, 21.2 ppg/10.4 rpg; John Wilson, 6’0″ FR G, Brooklyn NY; Cliff Davis, 6’2″ FR G, Thomasville GA, Tyus Baynham Jr., 6’4″ FR, Nashville TN, transfer from Vincennes; 19ppg/5 rpg/3 spg, 2021 Georgia Association Basketball Coaches Player of the Year; Amadou Traore, 6’7″ SO C, Harlem NY, transfer from Allen Co CC/Holmes CC, 13ppg/9rpg; Damani Claxton, 6’0″ FR G, Bronx NY; Ahmad Johnson, 5’10” G, Marianna FL, 16ppg/4rpg/4apg/3spg; Jatorian Warren, 6’7″ FR F, Tifton GA, 22ppg/12rpg at Tift Co. HS; Jamil Safieddine, 6’5″ FR G, Denver CO; Stephen Augustine, 6’5″ FR F, Long Island NY, played at Believe Prep (SC) last season; Deyton Albury, 6’2″ FR G, Nassau Bahamas, Sunrise Christian School, Believe Prep (SC)

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#3 Indian Hills CC (Ottumwa, IA) – Warriors – Region 11 – North Central District

Head Coach Hank Plona (BS, MBA Providence College) -7th year (169-24) – #6 in 2021 final poll

Asst. Coaches: Henoc Bienne, Matt Williams

In his six seasons at “The Hills,” Coach Plona has led the Warriors to six consecutive sole or shared ICCAC regular season championships, five Region 11 titles, and three District championships. IHCC has made 16 appearances in the National Tournament, including seven consecutive from 2014-2020, until being snubbed last year (2021) for an At-Large bid, despite an impressive resume.

Evidently, with their 21-3 record, #6 ranking in the final regular season poll, and Region 11 title, that wasn’t enough, as the Warriors were left out of the 24 team field. IHCC lost by one point, on the road, to first time qualifier Dawson CC (MT), in the North Central District Championship. Completely surprising to this writer, and a lot of people I talked to at Hutch, two teams ranked 20th or higher in the final NJCAA poll grabbed At-Large bids.

Indian Hills, under the direction of Plona, has won 88% of their games since he took over following the 2014 season. In addition, the Warriors have been ranked in the NJCAA Top 25 for 71 of the 72 polls released since he’s been in charge.

IHCC is one of six schools with three national championships, but is the only team in NJCAA history to win back to back to back titles. They accomplished that trifecta in the 1997-98-99 campaigns.

The Warriors start the season at home in the Hellyer Center, hosting Tyler JC (TX) and Butler CC (KS) in the the Reed Overhead Door Classic on Nov 5 & 6. Then Hills squares off with Missouri State-West Plains and Moberly Area CC in the Missouri/Iowa Challange, being played at Southeastern CC in W. Burlington, IA on Nov. 11/12.

Here is the 2021-22 preview for the Indian Hills CC Warriors:

2020-21 accomplishments: ICCAC D1 Regular Season Champions, Region 11 Regular & Postseason Champions, North Central District runners-up.

Key Losses: 6-6 G/F Tyem Freeman (Springfield, MO)- 18.1ppg, 7.3rpg, ICCAC Player of the Year, 1st-Team All-American -Signed at Central Florida
6-7 F Chris Payton (Bloomington, IL)- 12.5ppg, 10.0rpg, 2.5bpg, 2020 and 2021 1st-Team All-ICCAC -Signed at Pittsburgh
6-5 PG Curtis Jones (Minneapolis, MN)- 12.1ppg, 6.0rpg, 5.5apg, 39 3P%, 87 FT%, 3:1 A:TO, 2nd-Team All-ICCAC, NJCAA Academic All-American -Signed at Buffalo
6-2 G Tyrese Nickelson (Waterloo, IA)- 10.9ppg, 3.2rpg, 1.3apg, 37 3P%, 88 FT%, 2nd-Team All-ICCAC -Signed at Texas A&M Corpus Christi
6-2 G Levar Williams (Boston, MA)- 8.0ppg, 1.6rpg, 1.0apg -Signed at New Mexico State
6-8 F/C Gabe Oliveira (Sao Paulo, Brazil)- 1.5ppg, 6.4rpg -Signed at Pacific
5-11 G Trey Harris (Bloomington, IL)- 1.5ppg, 1.5rpg -Preferred Walk-On at Kansas State

Key Returners: 6-3 G Taj Anderson (Queens, NY)- 12.6ppg, 3.5rpg, 1.6apg, 41 3P%, 2nd Team All-ICCAC -JA48 Participant, Basketball Times Preseason Prospect #7 -One of better scoring guards in junior college, MM-HM, 3 Years to Play at D1
6-2 G Braxton Bayless (Ankeny, IA)- 6.1ppg, 3.5rpg, 2.0apg -JA48 Participant, MM D1 Recruit- 3 Years to Play at D1
6-8 F Mouhamadou Mbow (Dakar, Senegal) -MM-HM Recruit- DNP in 20-21 (Knee)- 3 Yrs to Play at D1

Impact Newcomers: 6-5 PG Isaiah Marin (Phoenix, AZ)- Transfer from New Mexico (16mpg, 3.6ppg)- 3 Years to Play at D1
6-3 G Davin Zeigler (Cleveland, OH)- Bowling Green Transfer (10mpg, 2.5ppg)- 2 Years to Play at D1
6-3 G Adetokunbo Bakare (Newark, NJ)- NJIT Transfer (7mpg, 1.9ppg)- 3 Years to Play at D1
6-4 G Andre Harris (Cleveland, OH)- Wright State Transfer (5.0mpg, 1.2ppg)- 3 Years to Play at D1
6-7 G/F Jvonne Hadley (St Paul, MN)- Northeastern Transfer (6.1mpg, 0.8ppg)- 3 Years to Play at D1
6-7 F Ahren Freeman (Jacksonville, FL)- New Orleans Transfer (17.3mpg, 5.7ppg)- 2 Years to Play at D1
6-10 F Yacine Toumi (Paris, France)- Little Rock Transfer (7.0mpg, 1.9ppg)- 3 Years to Play at D1
6-11 F/C Madani Diarra (Bamako, Mali)- Saint Louis/Eastern Illinois Transfer (12.9mpg, 3.1ppg)- 2 Years to Play at D1
6-1 G Eddiean Tirado (San Juan, Puerto Rico)- Freshman- High upside, Elite Shooter
6-5 G/F Enoch Kalambay (Gatineau, Quebec)- Freshman- High level prospect- Lefty athletic wing
6-11 F/C Leeroy Odiahi (Tralee, Ireland)- Freshman- Long/Athletic- Raw but high upside

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#4 John A. Logan College (Carterville, IL) – Volunteers – Region 24 – Central District

Head Coach Kyle Smithpeters (SIU-Carbondale) – 10th year (212-69) – #12 in 2021 final poll

Asst. Coaches: Charlie Jones, Tyler Smithpeters, Marcus Walker – Student Asst.

Logan College was Central District Champions last season, and received the #4 Seed and first round bye at the National Tournament. The Volunteers, with their high ranking, high seed, and high expectations, took it on the chin at the hands of the #12 Seed Ranger Rangers, 87-75 in their first game at Hutch. Ranger was making it’s second run to the final four in the past three seasons.

Claiming back to back Central District Championships, Logan made the teams 4th overall appearance at Hutch in 2021. Three of those were orchestrated by Smithpeters. They were the #5 Seed in 2020, but Covid-19 wiped out the tournament completely that year, bringing an abrupt end to a promising season. That year the Vols finished 28-5 and went 18-0 in the GRAC, spending most of the year ranked in the top 20, landing at #8 in the final poll.

The Vols have averaged 23 wins per season under Smithpeters, and have amassed seven 20 win seasons during his nine year tenure.

John A. Logan travels to Poplar Bluff, MO to start the season. They will participate in the 1st Midwest Bank Classic at Three Rivers College on Nov. 5/6. There they will take on Mineral Area College (MO) and the host, Three Rivers College.

Here is the 2021-22 preview for the John A. Logan College Volunteers:

Last Year: 18-5 overall, 13-3 in District, District Champions back to back, lost in quarterfinals at nationals to Ranger College (TX)

Returning Starters: 6’1 G Cam Alford (12.2 ppg), 6’1 G Dawson Yates (3.7 ppg)

Other Returnees: 6’6 G Jackson Conner (2.8 ppg), 6’2 G Justin Johnson, G 6’3 Detrick Reeves,
6’1 G Austin Garbe

Top Transfers: 6’3 G Sean East (Bradley – 9.0 ppg), 6’8 F Sarion McGee (Grambling – 7.2 ppg/5.8
rpg), 6’7 G Tujautae Williams (Tennessee Tech – 6.4 ppg), 6’3 G Cobie Barnes (Indiana State – 3.4 ppg)

Top Freshmen: 6’9 F K.J. Debrick (Springfield, IL), 6’8 G/F Justin Cross (Oak Park, IL)

Coach’s Outlook: “We are very excited about this year’s team. We brought in several transfers
that played at the D1 level to go along with our returners. We are having to fill several spots, but
I’m happy with our depth and work ethic. One of the best shooting teams I have coached.”

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#5 South Plains College (Levelland, TX) – Texans – Region 5 – Southwest District

Head Coach Steve Green (BS – Oklahoma Christian University, ME – Sul Ross State University) – 22nd year (530-140), 28th overall 685-180) – #1 in 2021 final poll

Assistant Coaches: Gino Saucedo – 3rd Year, Hayden Sowers – 1st Year, Trevor Van Tassel – 1st Year,

South Plains is a common name discussed every year when it comes to identifying the best teams in the nation. That, however, should come as no surprise, as they have been under the direction of NJCAA Hall of Fame HC Steve Green since 2000.

Green, widely considered one of the top coaches in college basketball at any level, has a resume that justifies that point, and is the primary reason his SPC teams are always in contention for a national championship. Among his credentials, he has been named NJCAA Coach of the year three times, WJCAC Coach of the year eight times, won or shared the WJCAC championship 8 times, and claimed nine Region 5 titles, seven of those while at South Plains College. The other two were at Midland (TX) and Howard (TX).

In his 21 years guiding South Plains, the Texans have averaged over 25 wins a season, have made 11 appearances at the National Tournament, and are currently on a run of five consecutive. During that stretch, SPC and Green have piled up three National Titles (2008, 2012, and 2018) along with a second place finish in 2015. Overall, South Plains has 12 trips to the NT, the other one coming in 1992.

This will be an interesting year upcoming for the Hall of Famer. He returns one player from last year’s Quarterfinalist, who lost in OT to Region 5 rival Ranger College. That being 7’0″ center Antonio Batis, a reserve from the Dominican Republic, who played sparingly (7 games). So basically, he has a totally new roster to begin the 2021-22 campaign with. Scary thought, aye? No problem though for this BIB (Best in the business)! His reputation and leadership defines that.

The Texans get things started in a classic being held at the University of Central Oklahoma on Nov. 7/8. They play Northern Oklahoma-Enid and Murray State College (OK).

Here is the 2021-22 preview for South Plains College Texans:

Last Season:
Overall: 18 – 3, WJCAC: 12 – 1, Share of the WJCAC Conference Title

Key Losses:

Rivaldo Soares – 6’6 (15.2ppg, 6.8 rpg) First Team All-American, WJCAC Most Valuable
Player, University of Oregon

Myron Gardner – 6’6 (13.8ppg, 7.1rpg) WJCAC All-Conference, University of Arkansas Little
Rock

Philmon Gebrewhit – 6’7 (11.6ppg, 3.8rpg) WJCAC All-Conference, DePaul University

Yuot Gai – 6’11 (7.4ppg, 5.6ppg) WJCAC Honorable Mention All-Conference, Abilene
Christian University

Jevonnie Scott – 6’7 (11.5ppg, 5.6rpg) Penn State University



Key Newcomers:

Malik Zachery – 6’2 University of Buffalo

Savion Gallion – 6’4 University of Buffalo (1.5ppg, 0.2rpg)

Kieves “Deuce” Turner – 6’1 Bucknell University (8.3ppg, 1.6apg)

Kalifa Sakho – 6’10 Rouen, France

Malek Abdelgowad – 6’9 Cairo, Egypt

Eric Coleman – 6’7 High Point University (8.7ppg 3.7rpg)

Teams ranked 6 through 10 are next to be previewed this week.