By Steve Carpenter
HCC Sports Information Director
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Hutchinson Community
College freshman Darius Johnson-Odom was named the 2009 Jayhawk West
Freshman of the Year on Tuesday.
Johnson was the only
Blue Dragon to earn all-league postseason honors. He was also named to
the all-Jayhawk West first team.
Johnson-Odom, a 6-foot-2
guard from Raleigh, N.C., has put together one of the most impressive
single seasons in the past 15 seasons. He is currently averaging 21.5
points per game, which is second in Region VI
and 17th in the NJCAA.
He is shooting 48.4
percent overall from the field, including 40 percent from 3-point range.
He is a 76 percent free-throw shooter.
Johnson-Odom is
averaging 5.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.6 blocked shots
per game.
Johnson-Odom currently
has 644 points, which ranks third on the Blue Dragon freshman scoring
list and 13th on the single-season scoring list.
He has had 20 games of
20 or more points, four of 30 or more points and a school record 46
points against Coffeyville on Dec. 5 at the Jayhawk Shootout.
During a three-game
stretch in the first semester of 30, 46 and 32 points, where he shot
48.3 percent overall and 44.4 percent (16 of 36) from 3-point range.
Those numbers garnered him NJCAA National Player of the Week honors.
Johnson-Odom has two
games in the HCC single-game Top 10. He scored 37 points in an 83-66
victory over Pratt on Jan. 28.
Johnson-Odom is the
first Blue Dragon to win Jayhawk West Freshman of the Year honors since
Roy “Pooh” Hairston in 1993.
2009 ALL-JAYHAWK
WEST TEAM
Coach
Of The Year –
Craig
Fletchall, Barton
Most
Valuable Player
– Nyika Williams, Barton
Freshman Of The Year
– Darius Johnson-Odom, Hutchinson
FIRST
TEAM
Name College
Ht Yr
Nyika
Williams
Barton 6’8
So.
Darius
Johnson-Odom
Hutchinson
6’2 Fr.
Michael
Tyler Pratt
6’5 So.
Keyon
Milliner Butler
6’2 Fr.
Shamar
Acuay Colby
6’0 Fr.
SECOND
TEAM
Rodney
Clinkscales
Dodge City
6’1 Fr.
Chip
Steven Barton
6’1 So.
Thijin
Moses Seward
County 6’8
So.
Jemal
Farmer Cloud
County 6’5
So.
Thomas
Manzano Garden
City 6’4
Fr.
HONORABLE MENTION
Corey
Bingham
Barton 6’2
So.
Marcus
James Seward
County 6’7
Fr.
Tony
Smith Seward County
6’5 Fr.
Caleb
Walker Butler
6’3 Fr.
Dernodo
Eiland Pratt
6’5 So.
Maurice
Colter Butler
5’10 So.
2009 ALL-JAYHAWK
EAST TEAM
Coach
Of The Year –
Jay
Herkelman, Coffeyville
Most
Valuable Player
– Mark Gomilla, Neosho County
Freshman Of The Year
– Jawanza Poland, Cowley
FIRST TEAM
Name College
Ht Yr
Mark Gomillia
Neosho County
6’5 So.
Jack
Crowder Cowley
6’4 So.
Michael Craion
Independence 6’6
So.
Nafis
Ricks Johnson
County 6’2
So.
Lenny
Daniel Coffeyville
6’7 So.
SECOND TEAM
Terrance
Hill Coffeyville
6’4 So.
Jawanza
Poland
Cowley 6’3
Fr.
Donald
Rowe Independence
6’3
So.
Allen
Jones Neosho
County 6’0
Fr.
Rory
Spencer Johnson
County 6’8
So.
Antoine
Branch Coffeyville
6’0
So.
HONORABLE MENTION
ALL CONFERENCE
Eddie Gray
Highland
5’9
So.
Andra
Bailey Allen County
6’3
Fr.
Antonio Jone
s Coffeyville
6’3
So.
Antione
Lundy Neosho County
6’7 Fr.
Dominique Lane
Cowley
6’4
Fr.
Darrell Blanton
Fort Scott 6’2
Fr.
Manny Richardson
Allen County
6’6 So.
