By Steve Carpenter

HCC Sports Information Director

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Even in Ryan Swanson’s first season two years ago, the Hutchinson Community College men’s basketball coach had more returning experience than he does heading into the season-opening Quarterback Classic.

Experience aside, Swanson will unveil the 2008-09 Blue Dragons on Friday night against the University of St. Mary Junior Varsity and Labette Community College on Saturday.

The Dragons start as the preseason favorite to win the Jayhawk Conference Western Division and are ranked 20th in the preseason NJCAA Division I men’s basketball poll.

“I’ve never had a year where we had this little returning experience,” Swanson said. “Guys who’ve played for me and been in my system and what I expect from them, we’re not returning much there.”

Only two players return with court time with the Blue Dragons from last season.

Those two players – guard Austin Bond and forward Ryan Douvier – played a combined total of 246 minutes for a 23-9 team that finished second in the Jayhawk West and advanced to the Region VI quarterfinals.

Bond is a 6-foot-3 guard from Kansas City, Kan. (Piper High School). His freshman season was extremely limited because of injuries. In 13 games, Bond averaged 2.9 points, shooting 31.3 percent from 3-point range.

Douvier is a 6-6 forward from Newton. He saw limited playing time as a freshman, averaging 0.6 points and 0.6 rebounds.

“Fortunately, we have a ton of great newcomers on our squad,” Bond said. “Talent-wise, we’re every bit as talented as last year, if not more so. This year, we have the same expectations as last year. We want to go for the conference (title) and go from there.”

Swanson will have a pair of talented transfers and a group of untested freshmen to try and lead the Blue Dragons to their first Jayhawk West championship since 2004 and the first Region VI crown since 1997.

“When you look at our overall talent level, it is good,” Swanson said. “We have some size, athleticism and guys who can play multiple positions.”

The two transfers into the program – one Division I and one junior college – will be heavily counted on, especially early as the freshmen get used to playing at this level.

Cliff Dixon is a 6-10 forward from Suitland, Md. He played at Motlow State Community College last season and averaged 17.2 points and 10.1 rebounds while shooting 53.7 percent from the floor.

Devon McBride is a 6-3 guard from Richmond, Va., who played at Binghamton University last season. McBride played in 10 games, starting one, for Binghamton, and scored 5.2 points per game, shooting 50 percent from the field, including 6 of 10 on 3-point attempts.

A big question for the Blue Dragons this season will be who replaces All-American point guard Bobby Maze, who is now at the University of Tennessee.

That job will fall to freshman Darius Odom-Johnson, a 6-2 guard from Raleigh, N.C.

“Darius is one of the most talented kids that I have ever coached,” Swanson said of his point guard. “He is extremely athletic, tough and can score. But he’s never been asked to play the point before.

“He needs to be better at making his teammates better.”

Including Dixon and Douvier, HCC will have redshirt-freshman Javari Williams, freshmen Dominique Rutledge and Tom Shirley down low.

Dragon fans will get their first true look at Williams, an athletic 6-5 redshirt from Brampton, Ontario. Rutledge is a 6-8 freshman from Newark, N.J. Shirley is a 6-7 forward from Grantville, Kan. (Jefferson West High School).

“That (group) should be a strength,” Swanson said of his forwards and centers. “But until we get everyone healthy, it makes their progress much slower.”

In the backcourt, Johnson-Odom, Bond, McBride and freshman Lazarius Johnson are going to be counted on heavily. Freshman guards Caydrick Bloomquist (6-0, Emporia HS) and Cody Beaton (6-0, Buhler HS) add to the in-state depth in the backcourt.

“We just don’t have much consistency right now,” Swanson said. “At any level, with this many freshmen, the knock is inconsistency. We have to develop more consistency in all areas, and until we do, we’ll probably look good one game and bad the next, even good and bad within the same game a lot of times.”

Season Notes

+ The Blue Dragons will tip off season No. 78 on Friday night.

+ Ryan Swanson is 46-17 in two seasons at Hutchinson. With five wins, Swanson will move past Tim Jankovich into 10th place on the HCC coaching list.

+ HCC is closing in on a milestone victory. With two more wins, HCC will become the third team in NJCAA history to reach 1,500 victories. Hutchinson is 1,498-525 all time.

+ The 2008-09 Blue Dragons have a defensive reputation to uphold. Last year’s HCC men’s basketball team set a team record for defensive field goal percentage (38.4 percent).

+ Hutchinson plays at Allen County on Nov. 11. This will be the first time since 1941 that the Blue Dragons will travel to Iola.