Barton Adds Brazilian Beef to Front Line
Barton County C.C. in Great Bend, Kan., has picked up an impact transfer this summer with the addition of 6-8, 260 pound Joao Batista.
Batista enjoyed a terrific freshman campaign last winter for Western Nebraska, where he averaged 13.6 points and six rebounds per game. The Cougars finished the season at 29-7, copping a Region IX Title and making the NJCAA Tournament in Hutchinson, Kan.
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Batista started 33 games and appeared in all 36 games for Western Nebraska, topping the 20-point mark seven times during the season and netting a season-high 31 points against Air Force Prep. He recorded five double-doubles, collecting a season-high 16
rebounds against Casper College.
For the season, Batista shot 61 percent from the floor and 61 percent from the foul line.
"He is a kid that is a proven player," Barton Head Coach Dave Campbell said in a prepared statement. "He showed last year at Western Nebraska that he could play."
"We expect him to be one of the big contributors to the program," the statement continued. "He will probably one of the top 15 or 20 players in the preseason. He is that type of player."
Batista is a native of Pernambuco, Brazil.