Skip to content Skip to footer

JCCC women’s basketball picked to win KJCCC D-II title in 2023-24

JCCC women's head basketball coach Ben Conrad gives his team instructions during a timeout.
JCCC women's head basketball coach Ben Conrad gives his team instructions during a timeout.
Posted: Oct 19, 2023

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – The Johnson County Community College women's basketball team was picked to finish first in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Division II preseason poll for the fourth-straight season.  JCCC came away as the conference champion in each of the previous three seasons that were the preseason pick to win the title. The poll is voted on by the league's seven head coaches. 

Kansas City Kansas Community College was second, followed by Allen Community College, Highland Community College, Neosho County Community College, Labette Community College and Hesston College.

Under the direction three-time National Coach of the Year Ben Conrad, Johnson County has compiled a 440-61(.878) record in 15 seasons, eight NJCAA Tournament appearances, including a national title in 2015 and two runner-up finishes. His tenure boasts 10 30-win seasons, eight consecutively, a first in NJCAA women's basketball history.

Conrad's teams have amassed a conference record of 157-31 (.835) during the last 15 years, which includes eight KJCCC D-II titles and seven NJCAA Region 6 championships. 

Conrad returns three players from a 2022-23 team that finished 33-3, won conference and region titles and finished No. 4 in the NJCAA's final season poll. While forward Grace Lynch and guards Saige Grampsas and Jazzy Klinge were not starters, all three played key minutes during the season.

Lynch averaged 5.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and connected on 54 percent of her shot attempts. Grampsas averaged 5.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists and ranked second in the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.3. Klinge averaged 5.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and shot 55 percent from the floor. 

Conrad has 10 newcomers to the roster, of which nine are true freshman. 

"We are as young as we have probably ever been," said Conrad. "Early on will be a challenge but this group has great potential and is very athletic. We can put five dynamic athletes on the floor together. We have a plus athlete at every spot and a couple we can bring in off the bench. I like the potential and so far, I really like their approach to the work that has to be done."