OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – The Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference announced the 2024-25 Men's Basketball All-Conference performers for Division II and the individual award winners today. These awards and teams were voted on by the league's head coaches.
Four members of the Johnson County Community College men's program earned all-conference recognition. Sophomore forward Brandon Mann and freshman guard Gavin Harvey were selected as first-team performers. Sophomore guard Steven Samuels and freshman forward Tavian Cruse were second-team selections. Additionally, Harvey was named as the Freshman of the Year, Samuels was named the Defensive Player of the Year and Rand Chappell was selected the Coach of the Year.
These four helped lead Johnson County to a 29-4 record, a conference championship, a district runner-up finish and earn an at-large berth to the NJCAA Division II National Tournament
Mann, who earned third-team honors as a freshman, led the team in scoring averaging 14.4 points per game. He upped that to 14.8 per game over 12 conference games. He also averaged 5.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. Mann led conference in field goal accuracy making 55.9 percent of his attempts. He also ranked seventh in the scoring and eighth in assists. Mann scored in double figure in 23 games and scored 20+ points seven times highlighted by a 24-point effort in an 82-64 win over Baker JV in the season opener. Mann also topped double digits in rebounds three times which resulted in three double-doubles. Twice during the season, he was selected the KJCCC D-II Player of the Week, earning the award in weeks eight and 11.
Harvey was third on the team in scoring averaging 12.2 points and led the team in assists at 4.9 and free throw accuracy at 80 percent. He was third on the team with 48 made 3-point baskets. Harvey's 4.9 assists per game average also led the conference and tied for 26th in the NJCAA. Harvey posted double figures 22 times, had 10+ assists twice and double digits rebounds on one occasion. Earlier in the season, Harvey accomplished something that had only been done four times in program history by recording a 10-point, 10-rebound and 13 assists for a triple-double to lead JCCC to a 77-62 win over Hesston. His 13 assists tied for ninth on JCCC's single-game chart. Harvey's highest scoring effort came in just his second game with 24 points against Iowa Western Tech. In that game he drained six 3-points shots.
Samuels was the Cavaliers fourth leading scorer at 11.8 per game, but their leading scorer in conference play at 14.8 per game. He led the team and ranked third in the conference in made 3-point field goals with 57, which ranked third in the conference. He also led the team in steals with 40. Samuels tied for the team lead scoring in double figures 23 times highlighted by a season high 23 points to lead JCCC to a 86-67 win at Hesston.
Cruse ranks as the Cavaliers' second leading scorer and rebounder averaging a double-double of 12.3 points and 10.1 rebounds. He also has made 53.4 percent of his shot attempts which ranks second on the team and third in the conference. Cruse tied for team lead scoring in double figures 23 times. He leads the team 19 double-digit rebound games and 14 double-doubles, which currently stand as the sixth most recorded in a season by a Cavalier. He owns nine of the top rebound efforts on the season including 17 boards at North Central Missouri on December 7 and against Labette March 3 in the opening round of the Region 6 playoffs. Twice during the season Cruse was named the KJCCC D-II Player of the Week earning the honor in weeks five and 15.