Barton Community College men’s head basketball coach Craig Fletchall was being forthright when talking about the disappointment of the 2009-10 campaign.
The Cougars finished 16-15 overall, including 6-10 in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Western Division for eighth place in the final standings.
“I’ll take the responsibility for last year,” Fletchall said Wednesday afternoon after practice inside Kirkman Athletic Center on the BCC campus.  “Even with a freshman-dominated team last year, I don’t think we had a passion to play and get better.
“In the recruiting process this year, we knew we would be young again, but we wanted to get guys that were more athletic and had a passion to play. We’re deeper than we were a year ago and we’re pretty good in spots.”
BCC only returns one letterman from last season in Colin Beatty, a 6-foot-4 sophomore guard, who started all 31 games in 2009-10 for the Cougars, averaging 14.3 points and 8.7 rebounds as their top all-around performer and an All-KJCCC second-team selection.
“He’s really did that for us last year out of need,” Fletchall said of Beatty’s propensity of being a scorer, rebounder and defender.  “This year, we’re trying to get him more to his natural 2-guard spot. Yet, you’re talking about a kid that led us in rebounds last year at 6-4.
“We’re going to try to use that strength and versatility, and post him up on some set. No question, his versatility is what we like.”
Beatty,  a native of Lanham, Md., has already committed to Loyola University in Chicago, an NCAA Division-I school.
“That’s why he got a pretty good scholarship offer,” Fletchall said of Beatty. “He’ll sign during the next couple weeks on early signing day in November.”
Another sophomore Fletchall says he will count on contributing is transfer Adam Young, a 6-8, 245-pound power forward.
“He’s 6-8 and a legitimate post player,” Fletchall said. “He played Division-I basketball last year and knows how to play.
“He definitely has a lot of court savvy and understands the game. He’s been around, and he played at a prep school (in New Jersey).
The point guard position is wide-open, with three players vying for playing time there.
“Right now, it’s kind of by committee,” Fletchall said.
Carl Wallace, a 6-3 freshman from Philadelphia, Pa., is one of the candidates, one in a long line of players Fletchall has recruited over the years from the City of Brotherly Love.
“I love those guys,” Fletchall said of the Philly connection. “Carl is an athletic, take-the-ball-off-the-rim and a versatile guy that can play multiple positions.
“He’s not a true point, and I don’t know if he’ll ever will be a true point, but he’s one of our hardest workers and very athletic.”
Storm Sanders, a  6-0 native of Canton, Ohio, is battling for the starting nod at the point.
“Sanders is more of a true point,” Fletchall said. “He had a rough year last season because he had a lot of hype going into his senior year and he had a blood clot in his knee and it went all the way up to his heart and he missed his senior season.
“He’s lucky he’s alive, and he’s for sure lucky that he’s playing basketball. He’s from LeBron James’ AAU program and he’s had a lot of hype. He just has to work on his game and shake the rust off, get back in the flow and get caught up in the speed of the game.”
DeVonte Grant (6-0, 230), an All-City player in Topeka last season, is also in the point guard hunt.
“We’re going to be a three-headed beast at point guard, and we’re all going to let them go and see what they can do in these early-season games,” Fletchall said.
Chris Cantino, a 6-7 freshman forward, who hails from North Hills, Pa.,  could be the X-Factor, the missing link.
“He’s probably the highest-profile freshman player in our program,” Fletchall said. “And yet, he works hard and plays multiple spots.
“He’s a tough mismatch. There’s no question, Colin and (Cantino) will be the two guys teams will be trying to stop, based on scouting reports.”