HUTCHINSON -- No. 1 ranked Barton Community College will play Walters State, Tenn. at 2:30 p.m. Monday in the second round of the 2024 NJCAA Basketball Tournament. No. 21 Walters State, Tenn. (29-2) edged No. 8 Daytona, Fla. (28-5), 85-82 .
"We're excited to represent Kansas. It's a team that can compete for a national title," said Barton coach Jeremy Coombs. "To win a tourney, you've got to have good players and depth. This team is balanced, and that's what makes it special."
The Cougars are riding a 23-game winning streak.
"Our leadership is why we've won 23 games in a row," Coombs said. "This group has been focused on one game at a time. Our preparation has been great."
Jayhawk runner-up Cowley College (28-5) rolled past Allegany, Md. 87-64 to cruise into a second round game against No. 9 Northwest Florida State.
No. 16 Hutchinson (27-6) plays South Carolina Salkehatchie (20-13) Monday.
JUCO JAM PICKS — Two Juco Jam "experts" misfired on their championship picks and went 1-7 with their NJCAA semifinal picks. No. 9 Northwest Florida State and No. 11 Cowley College to win the 2024 NJCAA Tournament. Neither "expert" predicted Barton would win their quarterfinal game.
Nic Nielson went zero for four guessing Northwest Florida State (1-1), Vincennes, Ind. (0-1) Jones, Miss. (0-1) and Salt Lake Utah (1-1) to reach Thursday's semifinals. Nielson picked Northwest Florida State to defeat Salt Lake in the championship.
Brandon Goble guessed one correct semifinalist. Goble choose Cowley College (1-1), Indian Hills, Iowa (2-0), Hutchinson (2-1) and South Plains, Texas (1-1) to reach Thursday's semifinals. Goble picked Cowley to beat South Plains for the NJCAA title.
2024 NJCAA TOURNAMENT
CHAMPIONSHIP—No. 1 Barton 88, Triton, Ill. 73
THURSDAY—Barton 93, Indian Hills, Iowa 78; Triton, Ill. 87, Connors State, Okla 84
WEDNESDAY—Barton 87, Northwest Florida State 73; Indian Hills 74, Odessa, Texas 68; Triton, Ill. 88, South Plains 87; Connors State, Okla. 91, Hutchinson 69
TUESDAY—Odessa, Texas 58, Vincennes, Ind. 56; Indian Hills, Iowa 68, Wallace State, Ala. 58; Connors State, Okla. 67, Salt Lake, Utah 61; Hutchinson 78, Chipola, Fla. 71
MONDAY—Connors State, Okla. 86, Moberly, Mo. 77; Hutchinson 96 South Carolina Salkehatchie 82; Barton 83, Walters State, Tenn. 68; NW Florida 85, Cowley College 70; South Plains 80, Panola, Texas 76; Triton, Ill. 105, Trinity Valley, Texas 87
SUNDAY—Walters, State, Tenn. 85, Daytona, Fla. 82; Cowley 87, Allegany, Md. 64; Wallace State, Ala. 76, Lee, Texas 64; Odessa, Texas 81, Trinidad State, Colo. 58; Panola, Texas 84, Jones, Miss. 73; Trinity Valley, Texas 61, Georgia Highlands 54
