Pratt an unlikely Jayhawk contender

Pratt Community College hasn't exactly been a Jayhawk Conference power in the last few years. Just before this year's season opener against Lamar, things got worse.

"Their head coach left four days before their first game," said current head coach Trevor Rolfs. "I was the assistant women's coach, and the women's head coach was doing both until the break. I was named head coach on December 9th and then we had some practices and we went home."

Pratt had 16 practices under Rolfs before their first game with him at the helm. Pratt won that game, 69-55 over Barton County. Other than a six-point loss to Seward County, Pratt has just kept on winning.

"We needed to get the ship righted and put in a whole new system," Rolfs said. "I have not caught my breath. Winning takes care of a lot of things. We've come this far, there's no reason for us to not keep winning and try to get a Jayhawk West title. Wouldn't that be something?"

Yes, it would. Perhaps the stiffest test so far comes on Saturday night. Pratt goes on the road to face Garden City, which leads the West division at 5-and-0.

"We'll be in first place in the conference if we beat them," Rolfs said. "Then we just start over from there. We've put ourselves in position to go get first place after eight games. Obviously we would like to go undefeated, but the odds of that happening in this conference are slim and none."

Amazingly, Pratt has made this run with just three sophomores on the roster. However, two of them have played major contributing roles.

Jared Young leads the team with 15.8 points per game and 6.1 rebounds. He has been steady all season long.

"He's a lefty, shoots extremely well," Rolfs said. "He is very long, very athletic, has even played the one for us. He's very versatile and can handle the ball."

A number of mid-major, Missouri Valley type programs have expressed interest in Young, in addition to Nicholls State.

Marcus Wimberly is second on the team in scoring, at 13.7 a game, and third in rebounding at five a night. He also shoots 50% from the floor.

"Marcus Wimberly is kind of an Allen Iverson," Rolfs said. "He plays just like him, doesn't shoot the three very well, but other than that, that's who I compare him to all the time. He is very, very quick and explosive. There hasn't been anybody in the league that has been able to keep him in front of them."

Wimberly won't play D1 next year though, because his clock is about to run out. While Big Ten and PAC-10 schools were showing interest early, the Division II powerhouses will soon be beating down Rolfs' door.