1976 D-I NJCAA National Tournament
In 1976, head coach Jeff Simons and his sophomore dominated squad won the NJCAA Region VI championship, earning the right to advance to Hutchinson, Kan., site of the NJCAA National Basketball Championship.
Led by all-conference performers John Revels, Kevin Fouse and Amos Willingham, the Kansans, as they were known then, posted a 24-10 record en route to a second-place finish in the conference, a region championship and a 16th place national finish.
The Kansans opened the season winning four straight while capturing the first place at the Sunflower Classic. After the 4-0 start, JCCC then dropped four of their next five, to fall to 5-4. However, the Kansans rebounded, winning nine of their next 11, including six straight, and carried that momentum into the sub-regional and region playoffs.
In the playoffs, the Kansans had an easy time against their opponents, with the exception of Colby Community College. JCCC opened sub-regional play with a 27-point victory over Haskell Indian Junior College and followed with an 88-78 win over Cloud County Community College. JCCC then squeaked by Colby, 66-64, to capture the sub-regional title and advance to the Region VI Championship round. As with the sub-regional round, the Kansans opened with a relatively easy 19 point victory over Allen County Community College, and followed with a 21 point drubbing of Hutchinson Community College, setting up a rematch with Colby. This time, Colby fared a little better but not enough to win, as JCCC outlasted Colby 50-49, giving the Kansans their first Region VI title and a trip to the national tournament.
At the NJCAA National Tournament, the Kansans were pitted against a tough DeKalb (Ga.) program and fell by the score of 74-67. The first-round loss dropped JCCC into the loser’s bracket against Burlington (Iowa). In what was considered the most exciting game of the 1976 tournament, JCCC fell short in a thrilling overtime game, as Burlington edged the Kansans 107-106, ending JCCC’s title chances.
2007 D-II NJCAA National Tournament
The last time the Johnson County Community College men’s basketball team left Danville, Ill, the Cavaliers had just captured the 2001 NJCAA Division II Championship. This season JCCC returned to Danville looking to repeat history, but it was not meant to be this time. The Cavaliers suffered two losses in its two games, and came away tied for ninth overall.
The Cavaliers opened the national tournament against a perennial D-II power Mott Community College of Flint, Mich, the same program JCCC defeated for the national championship in 2001. JCCC came out strong, building a seven point lead over the Bears late in half, and went into the locker room at the break up by two points.
However, Mott, ranked sixth in the final poll, turned their two-point deficit into a 22-point lead midway through the second half. The Bears started the second half with a 17-2 run, and stretched their lead further by scoring 30 of the first 37 points after the break.
The Cavaliers didn’t give up, and cut their deficit to nine with about six minutes left, when sophomore guard Aaron Linn nailed his third 3-pointer of the game. But shortly after, Linn picked up his fifth foul. His loss along with the Bears depth and physical play took its toll on the Cavaliers, and Mott pulled away with an 84-68 victory. Mott would go on to win the national championship, their second in school history.
“We had a good first half, but we just ran out of gas in the second half,” said JCCC coach Zac Roman. “They are physical, and they are deep. That’s what hurt us.”
Linn led the Cavaliers with 17 points, along with 16 points each by sophomore center Corey May and freshman guard Jonathan Jackson. Freshman Anthony Spencer posted a double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds. May also had a double-double, hauling down 11 rebounds.
The loss dropped JCCC into the consolation bracket against Phoenix College, another deep and physical team. The Cavaliers did not open this game with the same fire and intensity it did against Mott. Phoenix took advantage and built a lead they would never relinquish, defeating the Cavaliers 90-76.
Trailing by eight at the break, JCCC did made several runs, but with only eight players on the roster, depth took its toll again on the Cavaliers.
“They did a good job of harassing Corey,” Roman said. “They fronted him the entire time, which limited his touches.”
May still managed to score 16 points despite the constant pressure. Spencer led JCCC with 23 points and 13 rebounds, his 14th double-double of the season. Linn followed with 18 points and freshman Patrick Nemechek found his shot, finishing with 11 points. Sophomore Russell Revels dished out a game-high six assists.
With the loss to Phoenix, the Cavaliers were eliminated from the tournament, which earned them a ninth-place tie. That is an amazing accomplishment for this squad and interim head coach Zac Roman. In early January, JCCC stood 5-10, then Roman, who assumed the head coaching duties after Mike Jeffers was granted a medical leave of absence by the college, guided the team to 11 wins, including three postseason victories, to earn a berth in the national tournament.
“I told them after the game I was so proud of them and what they had accomplished,” Roman said. “They will also be a part of history now. Nobody expected them to accomplish this, but they knew they could do this. It was a fun ride.”
2012 D-II NJCAA National Tournament
The Johnson County men’s qualified for the NJCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Tournament for a fourth time in 2011-12, but when the postseason was set to begin, a trip to national appeared to be a daunting task for the Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers entered the Region VI Tournament with a 12-18 record, and the third seed in the four-team tournament. Johnson County caught fire in the postseason, and won three straight road playoff games to reach the national tournament.
In the Cavaliers’ tournament opener in Danville, JCCC survived a late rally by Moraine Valley Community College to win the opening game of the 2012 NJCAA D-II Tournament, 70-63. Moraine Valley was ranked 19th in the final NJCAA D-II poll and was seeded seventh in the tournament. Johnson County built leads of 11 points twice in the second half, only to see Moraine Valley crawl back within striking distance both times with their pressure defense. The Cyclones were able cut the Cavaliers lead to three points with less than a minute to play, but sophomore guard Quasim Jones made four of his nine free throws in the final seconds to secure the Cavaliers victory.
Jones scored 16 of his game-high 21 points in the second half. He hit five field goals in the game, including two 3-pointers, and was 9-of-12 at the line.
While Jones led JCCC in the second half, sophomore Justin Leathers powered the Cavaliers offense in the first period despite battling flu-like symptoms. Leathers scored 12 first half points to help the Johnson County build a six-point halftime lead. He finished the game with 20 points.
In two previous trips to the NJCAA D-II Tournament, Jeffers had his teams cutting down the nets as national champions at the end of the week. Second seed South Suburban kept Jeffers and his team from a third title in 11 years, with a 65-60 win in the second round. The Cavaliers had their chances, missing two open looks from 3-point range in the final 15 seconds to tie the game, but the two Bulldog free throws with 3 seconds to go sealed the five-point win.
Johnson County got off to a fast start, building an eight-point advantage, 11-3, but the Bulldogs responded with a 9-0 run to reclaim the lead. The two teams exchanged the lead several times the rest of the half, but South Suburban took the momentum into the locker room at the break, nailing a 3-point basket at the buzzer for a seven-point lead, 35-28. Johnson County rallied in the second half, turning that 35-28 point halftime deficit into a 46-44 lead on an 18-4 run that left the Bulldogs scoreless over six minutes.
The Cavaliers held a one-point advantage with under two minutes remaining, 60-59. However, JCCC committed two costly turnovers on its next two possessions, and South Suburban was able to take advantage of the Cavaliers’ charity. South Suburban finished the game on a 6-0 run.
Leathers had another solid effort for the Cavaliers, scoring a game-high 26 points. He hit 6 of 12 shots, including a trey, and was 13 of 20 at the free throw line. He also had eight rebounds. Jones added 17 points, and freshman Christian Hildebrandt was one point shy of a double-double, finishing with nine points and 10 boards.
The Cinderella run for the 2011-12 Johnson County Community College men’s basketball season came to end, as they fell 65-74 to Baltimore City Community College in the consolation bracket. The Cavaliers appeared to be on their way to the fifth place game after opening the game with a 10-0 run, following a pair of uncontested baskets by both teams after the tip.
Jeffers started sophomore Chris Brasher, who had three straight seasons wiped out by a knee injury. After the tip, Baltimore City head coach Terry Maczko allowed Brasher to score a layup, and JCCC returned the favor, tying the game at 2-2. Brasher left the game, and JCCC scored the next 10 points, then expanded their lead to 14, 18-4, five minutes into the game.
But Baltimore City gradually chipped away and JCCC’s lead was only six at the break, 40-34. The Panthers took their first lead with just under six minutes left to play, and never looked back, outscoring the Cavaliers 14-5 the rest of the way. The Cavaliers finish the season with a mark of 16-20, and tied for ninth in the tournament.
Leathers was one of 12 players to be selected all-tournament at the 2012 NJCAA D-II National Basketball Tournament, and is the seventh player in team history to earn all-tournament recognition. Leathers averaged 21.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and shot an impressive 62 percent from the field in JCCC’s three tournament games. He opened the tournament with 20 points to lead the Cavaliers to a 70-63 win over Moraine Valley. He followed with a team tournament record 26 points in a tough five-point loss to South Suburban, and capped the tournament with a 19-point effort in a 65-74 loss to Baltimore City.
2017 D-II NJCAA National Tournament - 8th Place
Johnson County opened the 2017 NJCAA D-II Tournament against No. 4 seed Parkland, and had the Cobras on the ropes, but could deliver the knock out punch, falling 62-54.
The Cavaliers bounced back and avoided an early exit with an 85-77 victor over Cincinnati State to advance in the consolation bracket. A big difference in the Cavaliers’ win over the Surge and their opening round loss to Parkland was their ability to make shots. The Cavaliers shot 51 percent from the field (28-of-55) and 52 percent from 3-point range (13-of-25). In their opening game, Johnson County made only three 3-pointers and shot 15 percent from beyond the arch.
Johnson County punched their ticket to the consolation final with a come-from-behind 76-68 win over Waubonsee. Down three at the break, the Cavaliers took control in the second half behind the play of Anthony Lupardus. He was 6-of-10 from 3-point range and finished with a tournament high 24 points.
The Cavaliers came up a little short in their bid to win the consolation bracket, falling to Essex County, 73-67. The Cavaliers finished the tournament 2-2 and in eighth place overall, five spots higher than their seed.
“I am proud of our guys, they battled all week long,” said head coach Mike Jeffers.
Johnson County opened the game on a 7-0 run and led 35-31 at the break. The Cavaliers held on the lead until just over six minutes to play when the Wolverines seized the lead and then held on for the win.
Following the tournament, Lupardus was given the Jack Custriano Best Small Award for his play in the 2017 national tournament. He scored in double figures in all four contests, and finished with an average of 16.0 per game. He also averaged 4.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals and shot 82 percent at the free throw line.
The Cavaliers finished the season 26-10 overall, tying the fourth-most wins in a season in the program’s history.
2019 D-II NJCAA National Tournament - 2nd Place
The Johnson County Community College men’s basketball team’s run to the school’s third national championship was ended by an impressive Kirkwood Community College team that lived up to its No. 1 seed in the NJCAA Division II Tournament.
Kirkwood led 33 -26 at the break, and built a 15-point lead in the early stages of the second half and appeared they would run away with the title. However, the Cavaliers fought back and began to cut away at Kirkwood’s lead, and eventually got as close as two points last in the contest. Despite that run, Kirkwood took control in the final minute and pulled away for a 64-58 victory, and their third title in team history.
While Johnson County came up short of the grand prize, this team will still be remembered as one of the best in the program’s history. The season saw the Cavaliers win conference and region titles, finish runner-up nationals and post 31 wins, the most in team history.
Sophomore forward David Turner and sophomore guards Nick Larkin and General Williams were named to the 12-person All-Tournament Team. Additionally, Larkin was given the Jack Cistriano Best Small Man Award. He is the second Cavalier to earn this award.
Turner had a tremendous showing at nationals, averaging 18.0 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. His 72 total points scored in the tournament set a new team record. In the championship game, Turner posted his third double-double of the tournament, finishing with 19 points and 11 rebounds. He also blocked two shots and had two steals.
The Eagles were able to keep Larkin and Williams in check in the final game with four and six points respectively, the two were key in helping Johnson County get to the championship. Larkin averaged 12.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists over the four tournament games, and Williams averaged 16.3 points highlighted by his career-high 30-point effort in the opening round win over Pitt.
Freshman guard JaQuaylon Mays and sophomore guard A.J. Pleasant also finished in double figures against Kirkwood. Mays finished with 13 points and Pleasant added 10. Mays averaged 12.8 points over the tournament.
Doug Wilson led the way for Kirkwood. He finished with a game high 30 points and added 15 rebounds.
The Cavaliers punched their ticket to the game by defeating No. 14 seed Cecil College 81-78 in overtime last night. Meanwhile, Kirkwood beat fourth-seeded Erie 84-70 in the other semifinal.
Johnson County opened the tournament with an impressive 96-69 win over Pitt. The Cavaleirs shot 75 percent from 3-point range in the first half and shot 60.7 overall from the field for the game. General Williams had a career and record-setting day for JCCC, pouring in 30 points, with 20 coming in the first half. His 30 points set a new team record for a game in national tournament play.
four of the Cavaliers’ starters finished in double figures. Sophomore guard General Williams was the team’s top scorer for the second time in the tournament. He poured in 23 points, hitting 9-of-18 shots, including three treys, and two free throws.
Sophomore guard David Turner finished with 20 points and seven boards. He was 6-of-10 from the field and 8-of-13 at the free throw line. Sophomore guard Nick Larkin followed with 18 points and sophomore forward Xavier Womack posted a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds.
In the quarterfinals, Lakeland rallied from a doublie-digit deficit by missed a potential game-winning shot in the finals seconds, as the Cavaliers held on for a 73-72 win. Freshman JaQuaylon Mays led the Cavaliers with 20 points, matching his career high.
2021 D-II NJCAA National Tournament
The Johnson County men's basketball team earned a spot in the NJCAA D-II National Tournament for the eighth time in team history in 2021, but it was the first time under head coach Rand Chappell who was hired to take over the reigns prior to the season.
The Cavaliers earned the 10th seed in the 16-team field and faced No. 7 seed Mott Community College despite being ranking five spots higher than the Bears in the final NJCAA D-II Poll.
The seventh-seeded Mott Bears pulled away in the final minute to hand Johnson County a 57-47 setback in the first round of the 2021 Tournament.
Sophomore guard Jaycson Bereal led the way for the Cavaliers. He finished with a game-high 14 points on 6-of-14 shooting. Sophomore forward Jaland Whitehead was close to registering his 14th double-double of the season, finishing with seven points and 10 rebounds. Freshman guard Desi Williams added 11 points and three assists.
Johnson County jumped out to a 10-2 lead before Mott went on a 19-6 run that put the Bears in front for good. Mott led 28-25 at halftime and clung to a three-point lead with 90 seconds to play before pulling away in the final minute.
The loss dropped the Cavaliers into the consolation bracket against No. 15-seed Southeast Community College. JCCC had defeated the Storm earlier in the season 97-85 and led the all-time series 14-to-3.
In this match up at nationals, Southeast shot 64 percent in the second half to roar back from eight down at halftime for a 90-81 victory over the Cavaliers, ending their season.
Johnson County led 43-35 at halftime, but the Storm opened the second half on a 27-to-4 run and eventually built their lead to 22 points with 6:10 to play. Southeast shot 53 percent for the game and hit 52 percent beyond the arch, hitting 16-of-31 shots.
Whitehead was the Cavaliers top scorer with 23 points on 11-of-19 shooting. He also had a team-high eight rebounds. His 23 points tied the fifth-best game recorded by a JCCC player in national tournament play, and his 15.0 points per game average tied for 13th. His 10 rebounds against Mott tied for the 10-best game in national tournament play, and his 9.0 game average rank 14th in team team history.
Williams recorded 16 points, three assists and three steals against the Bears. He three steals tied the fifth-best game in tournament history. He finished the tournament with a point sper game average of 13.5 points, which tied for 17th in team tournament history.
Forward Jacob Coleman contributed nine points off the bench, and guard Bing Haung added eight points.
The Cavaliers ended Chappell's first season with a mark of 16-6.
2023 D-II NJCAA National Tournament
The Johnson County men's basketball team earned a spot in the NJCAA D-II National Tournament for the ninth time in team history in 2023, and for the second time in three years under head coach Rand Chappell.
Tymer Jackson tied a Johnson County national tournament record pouring in 30 points to lead the Cavaliers to a 79-63 victory over Arkansas State Mid-South for a seventh-place finish at the NJCAA D-II National Tournament in Danville, Ill., Saturday afternoon.
Jackson made 9-of-7 shot attempts, including four 3-pointers, and was a perfect 8-for-8 at the free throw line. He finished the tournament with a total of 76 points for an average of 19.0 per game, which rank as the second most points ever recorded in JCCC tournament history and the fourth-best game average. He also made a total of 12 3-point baskets over the four-game championship, tying the second-most in team history. With those number, Jackson was named to the all-tournament team. He is 11th player in team history be selected as an all-tournament performer.
Sophomore forward Ryan Gordon followed with 13 points, six rebounds and a tournament game record eight steals. Freshman guard Massi Malterer provide 10 points off the bench.
Johnson County recorded its worst shooting performance of the season and had its lowest point total in NJCAA D-II Tournament history, falling to host Danville Area 67-46 in the first round of the tournament in Danville, Ill. The Cavaliers shot just 22. 6 percent (7-for-31) overall and 1-for-9 from 3-point range which allowed the Jaguars to jump out to a 35-19 lead at the break.
In their first consolation bracket game, JCCC team used a second-half surge behind starters Ryan Gordon, Tymer Jackson and Desi Williams to rally from 14 down for a 77-76 victory over Iowa Lakes. The three sophomores tallied 43 of the team’s 51 second half points, and 63 of the team’s 77-point game total.
Gordon finished with 26 points tying the third-best game by a JCCC player in tournament play. Jackson followed with 23 and Williams added 14.
Gordon closed out the tournament with 59 total points, the eighth most ever recorded. He was also the Cavaliers top rebounder with 28 total boards for an average of 7.0 per game. Those totals rank tied for third and ninth. He also set team tournament records for made free throws with 30 and steals with 12 and his .833 free throw percentage tied for ninth.
JCCC advanced to the consolation championship with a 77-68 overtime victory over No. 9 seed Chesapeake. Sophomore forward Xavier Kahube hit 3-of-4 shots and freshman guard Kaleim Taylor was 3-for-4 at the free throw in the overtime period to lead the Cavaliers to the victory. Kahube led JCCC with 20 points.
The Cavaliers finished the season with a record of 29-8, the third-most wins in a season in Johnson County men’s basketball history.