Warriors Picked No. 1 By TSN

OTTUMWA --- For the second time in the past three years, the Indian Hills Warriors will enter the season as The Sporting News’ choice as the No. 1 team in the country.  In its college basketball preview magazine, currently on newsstands, TSN has the Warriors atop the national poll.

Indian Hills received the top ranking heading into the 2013-14 campaign, the same spot it occupied prior to the start of the 2011-12 season, Barret Peery’s first as IHCC head coach.  Peery’s two-year record is 60-8, including a 26-4 mark last year when the Warriors were prevented by the NJCAA from playing in the postseason.

In the magazine, TSN writer Tony Jimenez says Peery has “a gift of gab that has led to great recruiting success.”  The preview article also says the Warriors potentially have 10 major-college players on the roster.

That group includes transfer Quevyn Winters, who was named to the first team of the Super Sophomores list in the publication.  Winters played last season at Duquesne.  Another transfer, Lester Medford, who came to IHCC from Arizona Western, was named to the Super Sophs fourth team.

Asked about the No. 1 rating, Peery responded, “I think it’s a tremendous credit to our school, players and staff.  At Indian Hills we expect to be in this position, but also know that we have a great responsibility to live up to what is expected.”

Two of IHCC’s conference rivals are also in the preseason top-10, Iowa Western  8^th and Southeastern 10^th.  The two teams Indian Hills will play in a November tournament in Florida, Northwest Florida State and Chipola, are ranked 4^th and 7^th, respectively.

Based on what he’s seen so far this fall, Peery likes his team and their potential.  “We have a really good group that I am excited about,” the coach said.  “We have a chance to be as good as anybody when it’s most important.  And we have players that really fit our program on and off the court.  It will be a fun group to watch.”

The last time Indian Hills entered the season ranked No. 1, they went 33-4 and finished 7^th at the national tournament.   

Buycks Signs with Toronto

OTTUMWA --- Former Indian Hills Community College basketball star Dwight Buycks has found a home in the NBA.  The Toronto Raptors announced this week they have signed Buycks to a contract, financial details of which were not released.

A two-time All-American at Indian Hills, Buycks played two seasons at Marquette University in his hometown of Milwaukee, Wis., after leaving IHCC.  He was with Gravelines in the French Pro A league this past year, leading the team in scoring with 18.0 points and adding 3.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists.

His first season out of college, Buycks spent the year with the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League and averaged 15.1 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists.

A 2009 IHCC graduate, Buycks was a two-time first-team All-Region choice with the Warriors and was a first-team All-American after his sophomore season, adding to the honorable mention All-American honors he received as a freshman.

Buycks ended his career as one of the leading scorers in IHCC history, netting 1,254 points in two seasons.

Ex-Warrior Gets College Coaching Post

Chattanooga, Tenn. -- Former Indian Hills Community College basketball standout Johnny Taylor has been added to the coaching staff at Tennessee-Chattanooga.  Taylor played one season at IHCC after transferring from Knoxville (Tenn.) College and then two seasons at Chattanooga before embarking on a long professional career.

A native of Chattanooga, Taylor is 26 hours short of completing his degree in Criminal Justiec at his alma mater, where he played for the most successful team in school history.  He will be a student assistant coach during the upcoming season.

"It's an amazing opportunity," Taylor said.  "I am excited beyond words and very thankful to be able to finish my degree and get my foot in the door in the coaching profession."

Taylor was at Indian Hills for the 1994-95 campaign and became eligible to play for the Warriors at mid-season.  He averaged 19.3 points and 8.0 rebounds over the final 19 games and helped lead IHCC to a 31-3 record and to within one game of a trip to the national tournament.  He had nine games of 20 or more points, including six in a row.

From Indian Hills, Taylor went back to his hometown and he starred for the 1997 UTC squad that made the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament with Taylor leading the Mocs in scoring his senior year.

Chosen by Orlando as the 17th pick in the 1997 NBA Draft, Taylor played four seasons in the NBA and then 11 more seasons overseas with stints in countries such as Italy, Spain and Russia. 

Louisiana HS Star Comes to IHCC

OTTUMWA --- A former Louisiana high school athlete who had his high school basketball career cut short by an injury is coming to Indian Hills Community College to resume his hoops career.

J.R. Harris, 6’4” and 185 pounds, suffered a serious knee injury playing football his junior season at Redemptorist HS in Baton Rouge, La. and that forced him to miss his junior and senior basketball seasons.  Harris, a defensive back, tore his ACL in a mid-season game in the fall of 2011.

At the time, he was considered a potential college player in both football and basketball.  His former high school football coach said, “You can tell (J.R.) is the son of a coach.  There’s not a doubt in my mind that he could play either sport on the college level.”

Harris’ dad was a volunteer assistant women’s basketball coach at Southern University.

But it’s basketball where Harris has decided to make his mark.  And IHCC coach Barret Peery loves the way Harris plays the game and his effort to be a great player.  “J.R. is a long athlete that is very skilled,” Peery said.  “He is the prototype for the kind of player we like to have.  He has very good range with his shot and a very good feel for the game.”

The last time Harris played prep basketball was his sophomore season, when he averaged 19.8 points and 9.0 rebounds and was voted MVP of his district.  At that time, he played forward. 

Now two inches taller, Harris is expected to be a guard for the Warriors.

Winters Comes on Board

OTTUMWA --- A second NCAA Division I transfer has decided to continue his basketball career at Indian Hills.  Quevyn Winters, originally from Milwaukee, Wis., will join the IHCC program after one season at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh.

Winters, a 6’5” forward, played in all 30 games for the Dukes last year, starting the final eight.  He was third on the team in scoring with a 9.6 average and his 55 3-pointers led the team.  At one stretch he made at least one three in 10 straight games.

IHCC coach Barret Peery says Winters is a big athlete that really shoots the three well and is talented around the rim.  “Quevyn’s experience at the D-1 level last year will make his transition to Indian Hills very smooth,” Peery said.  “His stats show he had a lot of success as a freshman and I would think he has a chance to do great things here next season.”

Winters scored a season-high 22 points in a game at Temple, which lost to Indiana in the third round of the NCAA Tournament.  His scoring average was 10.4 in Atlantic 10 play and 13.1 as a starter late in the season.  Overall he shot 38 percent from three-point range and 74 percent at the foul line and improved those percentages in conference games.

“Quevyn has a tremendous feel and understanding for the game and he’ll be a great fit at Indian Hills,” said Peery.

After starting his high school career at Washington HS in Milwaukee, Winters ended it by averaging 22 points and nine rebounds for M.A.C.K Academy in North Carolina.

Winters joins Marcus Posley, who played last year at Ball State, as D-1 transfers on next year’s IHCC roster. 

 

Posley Joins Warriors

OTTUMWA --- Indian Hills Community College basketball coach Barret Peery has utilized a handful of NCAA Division I transfers to help compile a 59-8 record in his first two seasons at IHCC.  So it’s no surprise that he is tapping into that area again as he gets ready for the 2013-14 campaign.

Marcus Posley, who played in 30 games for Ball State University last year as a freshman, has signed to attend Indian Hills.  Posley is a 6’1”, 200-pound guard from Rockford, Ill., whom Peery says “is very talented and can do a lot with the basketball.”

Indian Hills will need to replace the top two three-point shooters from last year’s team, Ronald Ross and Frank Williams, and Posley should help fill that void.

“Marcus has fantastic range on his shot and I expect him to make a lot of 3s for us next year,” the IHCC coach said.  “He can also play multiple positions and handles the ball well in transition.”

Posley made eight starts for Ball State, a Mid-American Conference member, all of them in the final nine games of the season.  He averaged 6.5 points for the year with a high game of 20.  He also led the team with an average of 2.9 assists per game.

In his high school career, Posley earned three letters in basketball and was also a standout track athlete.  He was a three-time all-conference choice in basketball.

Peery concluded his assessment of Posley by saying, “He’s a very tough kid from a great family.”

Hoops Camp Dates Set

OTTUMWA --- The dates have been set for the basketball summer camp at Indian Hills Community College.  Coach Barret Peery will hold the camp from July 29 through Aug. 1 in the Hellyer Student  Life Center on the IHCC Ottumwa campus.

The camp is for boys and girls ages 5-13.  It will run from 9am to noon all four days.  The IHCC coaching staff and current players will provide the instruction.

Cost of the camp is $60 and registration can be taken care of online prior to July 29 or from 8am to 9am the first day of the camp.

Each camper will receive a special t-shirt and ideas and drills for them to develop their basketball skills.

There will be daily awards and instructional stations and games every day.

For more information on the camp, contact assistant coach John Wardenburg at 641-683-5683 or John.Wardenburg@indianhills.edu.