OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - As Johnson County Community College head women's basketball coach Ben Conrad embarks on his 16th campaign, he finds his program in a familiar spot when they tip off the season November 1 … ranked among the top teams in the country and a favorite to not only contend for a conference title but a national championship as well.
Under Conrad's direction, who is a three-time National Coach of the Year, 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.
Johnson County will open the 2023-24 season at No. 4 in the preseason National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II women's basketball poll, announced by the national committee in mid-October. The Cavaliers received 153 points in the preseason poll. JCCC was also picked as the preseason favorite to win the Kansas Jayhawk Conference Division II title this year.
While it has become commonplace for Conrad's teams each year to be a preseason favorite, what is not common is the makeup of his team this season. Conrad returns only 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.
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."
Conrad will look to fill void by the loss of guards Mackenie Hart and Nariyah Simmons and forward LaJahda Boyland, all who earned All-America accolades during the careers at JCCC. Also gone is point guard Lisa Thomas, who was selected as an all-conference and all-district performer last year.
One sign of a solid NJCAA basketball program comes when a team loses many fine players each year and still manages to continue its winning ways. Conrad has mastered the revolving door of player at the community college level during his 15 years at JCCC.
"Our expectations really don't change here," said Conrad. "We expect to compete for a championship in a conference that produces some of the top teams in the country each year. We've been in the mix every year and we don't expect that to change. Whoever gets through our region is immediately in discussion for a national title."
Last season, Klinge, Lynch and Grampsas each saw action in all 35 games and for the most part produced similar number. Klinge closed out the year averaging 5.4 points per game and was the team's second leading rebounder 220 total boards for an average of 6.3 per game. Her 220 total rebounds ranked sixth in the conference and her 6.3 average was ninth-best. She reached double digits scoring in six games, had four games of 10+ rebounds with one double-double. Klinge also made 82.9 percent of her free throw attempts and 54.5 percent of the field goal tries.
"Jazzy is set for breakout year," Conrad said. "She will be a major impact kid on both sides of the floor. She is an elite athlete with high level of physicality."
Of the three returnees, Lynch had the highest scoring average at 5.7 points per game. She also averaged 3.3 rebounds and connected on 53.5 percent of her field goal attempts. Lynch scored in double figures in seven games and grabbed double digits in rebounds one time. During the JCCC's run in the national tournament, she averaged 9.7 points and shot a team-best 66.7 percent from the field. That percentage tied for the second-best by a JCCC player in national tournament play.
"After a really solid freshman year Grace appears ready for big jump this year," Conrad said. "She is really shooting the ball extremely well."
Grampsas started the most games of the three with four nods. She averaged 5.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.0 steals per game. She also shot 45.3 percent from the field. Grampsas reached double figures five time and had one 10+ rebound game which resulted in a double-double performance. At nationals, she averaged 6.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists. She recorded her best scoring effort of the season by pouring in 19 points off the bench, draining a season-high six 3-point baskets, in a 92-42 tournament opening win over Delta. Her six treys tied the second-most in a game by a JCCC player in tournament history. Overall, she posted an 85.7 shooting percentage beyond the arc, third-best in tournament history.
"Saige may be the best shooter we have had at JCCC and that is a bold statement," Conrad said. "She should have a huge sophomore campaign."
With only three returning players and no clear-cut star, that leaves the door wide open for the 10 newcomers to come in and make an immediate impact. The 10 newcomers include one sophomore transfer and nine talented true freshmen made up of five guards, four forwards and a center. The guards are 5-6 Taliyah Scott (Truman HS/Independence, Mo.), 6-0 Yar Manyiel (North Kansas City HS/North Kansas City, Mo.), 5-6 Amaya Marshall (Lawrence HS/Lawrence, Kan.), 5-6 Maizen Williams (Paseo Academy of the Arts/Kansas City, Mo.) and 5-6 Ramyiah Logan (Lincoln College Prep Academy/Kansas City, Mo.). The forwards are 5-11 Amani Henry (Raytown HS, Raytown, Mo.) 6-2 Karlee Ellick (Neosho HS/Neosho, Mo.), 5-10 Micah Landry (Olathe North HS/Kansas City, Mo.) and 5-9 SaYere Banks (St. Michael the Archangel/Raytown, Mo. The lone center on the roster is 6-0 Aa'Mya Stacker (Truman HS/Independence, Mo.).
Scott was a four-year starter for coach Jim Page at Truman and was rated the No. 9 player in the state of Missouri by MaxPreps.com her senior year. She was a two-time Great Lakes Valley Conference selection and earned 810 Varsity All-Metro honorable mention as a junior. Scott averaged double figures all four varsity seasons and closed out her prep career scoring 1, 053 points. Conrad describes her a dynamic combo guard who can impact both side of the floor.
Manyiel started three seasons for coach Jeffery Lacy at North Kansas City, then transferred her spring senior season to Oak Park High School. While at NCK, she was a three-time All-Suburban Red All-Conference selection. As a sophomore, she finished second on the team in points and led the team in shooting percentage. Conrad says Manyiel is a long, athletic wing with major upside. She has ability to play any position on the court and can be a lethal defender against anyone she put up against.
Marshall was a four-year start for coach Jeff Dickson at Lawrence High. She earned Sports in Kansas 6A honorable mention and All-State 6A All-Class honorable mention her junior and senior seasons. She was also selected All-Sunflower League second-team and was a McDonald's All-American Games nominee for the state of Kansas as a senior. She averaged double figures all four varsity seasons. Conrad describes Marshall as a solid, fundamentally sound guard who can really shoot the ball.
Williams started her senior year at Paseo Academy of the Arts for coach Brandonn Liggins. Prior, she was a three-year starter for coach Reginald Ramsey at Southeast High. She earned All-District all four years and scored over 1,800 points over her career. Her senior year, Williams was on the DiRenna Awards Watch List. She averaged 21.5 points per game as a junior and bumped it up to 30.9 per game her senior year. She was also an accomplished track and field athlete. Conrad describes her as a super athletic wing with a very high ceiling.
Logan was a two-year starter for coaches Jeff Atkins and Madison Manyawu at Lincoln College Prep. She played her freshman year at Hogan Prep Academy. She was named All-State first-team by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association her senior year. She also earned first-team all-conference and all-district and was selected the District Player of the Year. Conrad describes Logan as a high IQ left-handed point guard, who is one of the better passers he had at JCCC during his tenure.
Henry was a four-year starter for Elyseia Dunn at Raytown and was two-time All-District and All-Conference selection. She averaged a double-double of 10.0 points and 11.5 rebounds per game her senior season and was one of the top rebounders in the KC High School Hoops district. Henry helped Raytown to back-to-back conference titles her junior and senior years and a District title and third-place finish at the Missouri Class 6 Stat Tournament as a senior. Conrad says Henry is an athletic wing/forward with major room to for growth and has high expectations for her.
The tallest player on the roster, Ellick was a three-year starter for Daniel Durst at Neosho High. She was a three-time All-District selection. Her senior year Ellick was selected All-Central Ozark Conference second-team and was named to the All-Defensive Team after averaging 17.5 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. As a junior she averaged 9.1 points and 7.7 rebounds. She also a two-time All-District performer in volleyball. Conrad says Ellick has a legitimate 6-2 frame and is a skilled inside player with a huge upside.
Landry started her senior year for coach Alonzo Williams at Olathe North. She earned All-Sunflower League honorable mention and was a McDonald's All-American Games nominee for the state of Kansas. She attended Blue Springs South as a junior but did not participate in basketball. She started her sophomore year for coach Alicia Dunn at Raytown and her freshman year for coach Mary Hagerty at St. Michael the Archangel. She averaged 5.0 points and 5.0 rebounds as a freshman, 8.0 points and 5.0 rebounds as a sophomore and 8.0 points an 10 boards as a senior. Conrad said Landry is an athletic rebounder with major potential.
Banks spent the 2022-23 year at Ottawa University where she played for the varsity reserve team. As a prep she started three years and earned for letters for coach Mary Kroening at St. Michaels the Archangel. She was a two-time All-District selection and was named to the Missouri DiRenna All-Star Team her senior year. Banks helped the Guardians to three District titles. She averaged 8.0 points as a sophomore, 12.0 as a junior and 15.0 her senior year. Conrad says Banks is skilled forward who has potential to see solid minutes this season.
Stacker was a two-year a starter for coach Jim Page at Truman and she started her freshman and sophomore years at Grandview High for coach Brian Everett. She averaged 15.7 points and 6.7 rebounds her senior year, and as a junior helped Truman to a Missouri Class 6 District title. Stacker averaged 9.4 points, second on the team, and led the team averaging 9.1 rebounds as a sophomore at Grandview. As a freshman she was Grandview's third leading scorer at 6.5 per game and second-best rebounder pulling down 6.5 per game. She closed out her career with 1,050 points. Conrad describes Stacker as a big player who moves well laterally and is another high ceiling kid with a lot of potential.
Johnson County 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.
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.
The non-conference slate has some intriguing match ups with mid-November home clashes with Iowa Lakes (Nov. 10), Southwestern (Nov. 11) and Southeast (Nov. 14), followed by trip out East against College of Southern Maryland (Nov. 17) and home tilts with Des Moines Area (Nov. 16) and North Central Missouri (Nov. 27). JCCC will also travel to Southwestern on November 29, Moberly Area December 9, North Central Missouri January 5 and Southeast January 7 before starting conference at home against Highland January 13. Sprinkled within their conference slate is a home-and-home with North Arkansas. The Cavaliers host the Pioneers January 23 and travel to Harrison, Arkansas February 17.