OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – For the third time in the four-year tenure of Johnson County Community College head men's basketball coach Rand Chappell, the Cavaliers have been picked as the preseason favorite to win the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Division II title. The poll is voted on by the seven conference coaches.

JCCC was picked first ahead of Kansas City Kansas Community College, Fort Scott Community College, Allen Community College, Highland Community College, Labette Community College, Neosho County Community College and Hesston College.

The Cavaliers are coming off a season that saw them finish 29-8 as Chappell guided his team to an outright conference title, a Region 6/Plains District championship and a berth in the NJCAA D-II National Tournament. They went on to finished seventh overall. The 29 wins tie the second-most in a season in team history, and for that effort, Chappell was chosen the KJCCC D-II Coach of the Year. 

Chappell's tenure boasts three straight winnings seasons and back-to-back 20-win campaigns, two NJCAA D-II Tournament appearances (2021, 2023), two Region VI/Plains District titles (2021, 2023) and two KJCCC D-II tiles, one outright (2021, 2023). His teams have been ranked nationally in 33-of-44 polls (75%) including a span of 32 straight. His teams have also been ranked in the top 10 in 24-of-44 polls (55%) and in the top 5 14-of-44 polls (32%). 

In three seasons at JCCC, Chappell has coached three NJCAA All-Americans, nine All-Region VI performers, nine All-Jayhawk Conference picks, one MVP selection, two conference Defensive Players of the Year, one conference Newcomer of the Year and one Freshmen of the Year selection. In addition, he has one player who scored over 1,000 points over his career. 

Chappell returns two player who saw action last season, forward Kyler Mann (Tulsa, Okla.) and guard Massi Malterer (Madison, Wis.).  Mann played 37 games, 18 as a starter. He averaged 5.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.6 steals. Mann connected on 46.5 percent of his field goal attempts (87-for-187).  He ranked second on the team and fourth in the conference in total rebounds (212) and third on the team in rebound average. Mann scored in double figures three times and topped 10+ rebounds twice. He led the team in rebounds in 13 games, most on the roster, and was the game leader in assists five times and in steals seven. 

Malterer played 25 games, two as a starter. He averaged 3.8 points and 1.7 rebounds per gam and connected on 62.5 percent of his shot attempts (40-for-64) and shot 88.2 percent at the free throw line (15-for-17). Malterer scored in double figures three times highlighted by an 18-point game in his second collegiate game.

Also back is guard Donald Bangham, Jr., (Kansas City, Mo.) who served a redshirt season with the Cavaliers last year. Prior to that he was an all-state performer out of Ruskin High School. 

Chappell brings in 13 newcomers to the program for the 2023-24 campaign, but four come in with a year of college playing experience … guards Drake Davison (St. Joseph, Mo.) forward Elijah Cole (Phoenix, Ariz.), guard Jordan Nichols (Michigan City, Ind.), and guard Stavian Jones (Lawrence, Kan.). 

Davison joins the program after playing last season at Southwestern Community College (Iowa), where he averaged 9.1 points and shot over 55 percent. Cole played at Scottsdale Community College (Ariz.) where he helped the Artichokes to a District title and berth to the NJCAA D-II National Tournament. Nichols spent the 2021-22 season at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Richland where he averaged 17 points and seven assists per game, and Jones spent his freshman year at Washburn University after a season playing for Colorado Prep. 

Rounding out the roster are seven true freshman who all will have the opportunity to battle for playing time and contribute to the program.

The Cavaliers open its 2023-24 season the weekend of November 4 and 5 when the travel to Trenton, Mo., to take on North Arkansas College and North Central Missouri College. They open at home on Tuesday, November 7 when they host cross-town rival Metropolitan Community College at 7:30 p.m.