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Parker signs to play point for Chipman at Washburn
NCAA D-II Basketball
spt Fletchall  Parker
Barton head coach Craig Fletchall, at left, shares a laugh with Cougars guard Turon Parker after Parker signed a letter of intent to play for NCAA Division-II Washburn University late Wednesday morning during a signing ceremony inside Kirkman Activity Center. - photo by Mack McClure Great Bend Tribune

After making his visit to the state’s capital, Barton Community College sophomore guard Turon Parker knew he had found his home for his final two seasons.
“As soon as I went there, I noticed what the basketball environment was down there,” said the 6-foot-1 Parker, a native of Canton, Ohio, after checking out the NCAA Division-II Washburn University campus in Topeka and signing on Wednesday. “There were a lot of championships (banners) and things like that.
“It’s the best fit for me because of Coach (Bob) Chipman and Coach Brown (Dave, Chipman’s assistant and recruiter) ... it’s just the environment. I’m looking forward to it.”
One of the winningest active college coaches at any level, Chipman has registered more than 500 wins during 35 years at the helm at Washburn — the most of any Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association coach.
Barton assistant coach Matt Hundley, a former guard for Chipman, helping lead Washburn to a runner-up finish at the 2001 NCAA D-II national championships, played an integral role in helping Parker land at Washburn.
“Coach Hundley helped me a lot,” Parker said. “He helped me take care of my business, as far as looking over videos and stuff like that.
“He took me to my visit, and he was a big help.”
After making his visit to Washburn, Parker said he was sold on the prospect of playing for the Ichabods.
“Turon has the ability to play 30 to 35 minutes, whatever they need,” Barton head coach Craig Fletchall said. “They have a great tradition, but they lose a lot of their guards.
“He will be able to step right in at point guard and play.”
Parker rotated with fellow sophomore guard Al Key, who signed on Wednesday to play for Alabama, at the point and off-guard positions this past winter.
A steadying influence in the backcourt, Parker had 119 assists, ranking him second on the team to Key, whom he tied for the team lead with 63 steals.
Parker, who averaged 11.8 points — third on the team — had a team-best 59 3-pointers (59 for 159 for 37.1 percent), and shot a team-best 72.2 percent on foul shots.
“He made a lot of critical free throws for us over the past couple seasons,” Fletchall said.

First-place Cougars complete 4-game sweep
Barton baseball
First-place Cougars sweep Colby COLBY — The Barton Cougars solidified first place with a 4-game sweep of Colby Sunday 9-4 and 8-6 in 10 innings. The Cougars (25-8, 16-4 Jayhawk) lead Cloud County (26-11, 15-5 Jayhawk) by one game. COUGARS 9, COLBY 4 (G1) — Barton's Ayden Hadley homered, doubled and singled and drove home five runs. Wyatt Yetter doubled home a run. The Cougars' defense converted a pair of double plays. Bartlett 3-run homer followed McCormick's RBI single for a 4-0 lead. Hadley and Yetter delivered RBI doubles in a 3-run fifth inning for 7-0 lead. Colby ripped a 2-run fifth-inning homer and added two sixth-inning runs after a trio of walks. Barton's Owen Pote (5-2) earned the pitching victory. COUGARS 8, COLBY 6 (G2) — The Cougars parlayed four walks and a hit batter for a pair of 10th-inning runs. Hunter Alvord and Hadley drew bases-loaded walks for an 8-6 lead. Hadley's third-inning double scored Alvord. Colby tied it 1-1 after three innings. Four Colby singles led to a 3-1 lead. Alvord's fifth-inning homer made it 3-2. Kyle Graves' RBI single and Tate Blasi's RBI bases-loaded fifth-inning walk handed the Cougars a 4-3 lead. Colby's 2-run seventh-inning homer handed the Trojans a 5-4 lead. The Cougars led 6-5 after Hadley's scored on an error after he doubled home pinch-runner Cooper Tabor. Colby ripped a homer for a 6-6 tie. Cougar reliever Landon Haines (3-0) struck out five batters in 32/3 innings. Barton 040 230 0 — 9 Colby 000 022 0 — 4 Pote, McCarthy (6), Golden and Hadley. W—Pote, 5-2. 2B—BC—Hadley, Yetter 2; C—Thatcher. HR—BC—Hadley (7) Barton 001 012 002 2 x— 8 Colby 001 200 201 0 — 6 Minaker, Haines (7) and Hadley. W—Haines, 3-0. 2B—BC—Hadley 2, Walker. HR—BC—Alvord (8) JAYHAWK WEST Barton 16-4 25-8 Cloud 15-5 26-11 Colby 10-6 22-15 Butler 11-7 19-14 Hutchinson 8-8 26-11 Dodge City 8-12 22-15 Garden City 5-11 16-18 Pratt 3-13 10-28 Seward 2-12 15-22 4-3—Barton 7-19, Colby 0-0; Hutchinson 2-5, Cloud 1-13; Dodge City 12-14, Garden City 11-3; Neosho 11-6, Pratt 4-5 4-5—Butler 7-12, Seward 4-0; Pratt 5-6, Neosho 4-2 4-6—Barton 9-8, Colby 4-6; Cloud 5-16, Hutchinson 2-4; Pratt at Neosho 4-7—Seward at Butler 4-8—Barton at McPherson JV; Cloud at SE, Neb.; Neosho at Butler; Garden City at McCook, Neb. 4-10—Barton at Garden City; Cloud at Highland; Seward at Colby; Hutchinson at Butler; Dodge City at Pratt
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