STEVE CARPENTER
HutchCC Sports Information
With a new coaching staff and entirely new roster, the Hutchinson Community College men’s basketball team was picked to finish fifth this season by a vote of the league’s coaches as the Jayhawk Conference released its annual preseason coaches’ poll on Thursday.
With several teams from the former Jayhawk East dropping to Division II this season, the 13 remaining KJCCC Division I teams will once again play in one conference with a double round-robin schedule. The KJCCC was last a one-division league from 2015-16 to 2017-18.
New Blue Dragon head coach Tommy DeSalme will introduce his new team to the public in a scrimmage at 5 p.m. on Friday at the Sports Arena and then officially open the season on November 3 against Fort Scott before playing host to the Blue Dragon/BSN Tipoff Classic on November 5 and 6.
The 2021-22 Blue Dragons will have an entirely new roster with 15 new players. Five players – Jacquez Yow, Cameron Robins, Kobe Campbell, Tarese Morse and Josiah Harris – followed DeSalme to Hutchinson from Cowley College.
The last time Hutchinson men’s basketball was picked this low in a preseason conference coaches poll was 2000 when the Blue Dragons were picked fourth in a nine-team Jayhawk West.
Defending national champion Coffeyville is the preseason pick to capture the 2021-22 league championship. Dodge City is picked second, followed by Butler, Colby and Hutchinson.
The Blue Dragons received votes in the preseason NJCAA rankings.
2021-22 KJCCC MEN’S BASKETBALL PRESEASON POLL
1. Coffeyville
2. Dodge City
3. Butler
4. Colby
5. Hutchinson
6. Seward County
7. Independence
8. Cowley
9. Garden City
10. Barton
11. Pratt
12. Cloud County
13. Northwest Tech