Yavapai Rolling Along; Program Update
Yavapai College has rolled to a 16-2 overall mark and remains undefeated in ACCAC play at 11-0.
Several Roughrider sophomores are reaping the benefits, as many four-year colleges are pursuing Yavapai players this winter.
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JUCO Junction caught up with YC Head Coach Brooks Thompson this week, and we have the complete recruiting run-down on the Roughrider players.
One of the more sought after point guards in the country is strong 6-4 point guard Keion Kindred from Los Angeles, Calif.
Kindred is back for his sophomore campaign after helping Yavapai to the Region I crown in 2002-2003.
In 14 games, Kindred averages 5.5 dimes per contest.
"Keion missed some of our pre-conference schedule because he had some cartilege removed from his knee in the fall," Thompson said. "He's still not in perfect shape, but he can run a basketball team like no other."
JUCO Junction caught Kindred in action at the NJCAA Tournament last winter. He has an excellent frame, good size and the ability to penetrate and create for himself others.
"What sets Keion apart from other point guards is his size and athleticism," Thompson explained. "He's very smart, and he gets the ball to people who are in a position to score."
Washington, Connecticut and Rutgers have expressed strong interest in Kindred this winter.
The other half of Yavapai's explosive backcourt, 6-3 shooting guard J.R. Reed, has a plethora of low to mid-major programs recruiting him.
After watching him in the fall at the ACCAC Jamboree and at Hutch last March, JUCO Junction had Reed pegged as a solid mid-major recruiting target. His play this season has done nothing to change that.
A smooth offensive player, Reed has a quick first step that aids him in getting to the hole. He's a capable midrange jump shooter off the bounce and has legitimate range out to three point land.
This season, Reed averages 15 points per game and has knocked down an average of nearly three treys per game.
According to Coach Thompson, St. Mary's, Montana, Eastern Washington, Oral Roberts, Southeast Louisiana and New Mexico have expressed interest in Reed. He took a pair of official visits to St. Mary's and Montana in the fall.
One player who boosted his stock at the ACCAC Jamboree in October is 6-6, 235 pound power forward Jay McFarland of Milwaukee, Wis.
McFarland averages 11 points and seven rebounds per game this season.
"People like Jay because of his body, athleticism and size," Thompson said. "He hasn't been scoring a ton but he's a hell of an athlete."
When JUCO Junction saw him in October, we were impressed with McFarland's finishing ability around the tin. It appears as though he has jets in his sneakers the way he gets off the ground.
Southeastern Louisiana, Northern Arizona and Duquesne have offered McFarland, Thompson said. Others in the hunt include Ball State, Illinois-Chicago, Evansville and Central Connecticut State. South Carolina called Thompson recently to express a preliminary interest in McFarland.
Even though he arrived at Yavapai with some baggage, Thompson offered nothing but praise for 6-10 center/power forward Mark Konecny of Waterbury, Conn.
"He plays hard, gets rebounds and has range out to three," Thompson said. "He has been pretty consistent for us, but we'd like him to be even more consistent."
Konecny averages 10 points and 11 rebounds per game for the Roughriders. Several major Division I programs are now looking at the well traveled big man.
DePaul, Hawaii, UNLV, Southern California, Michigan and Monmouth have shown consistent interest, Thompson said. Konecny could graduate in the spring or summer, depending on how he does in the classroom this semester.
The final player we'll examine is resourceful 6-5 combo forward Akeem Price of Pontiac, Mich.
Price put up tremendous numbers as a freshman last season at Northland Pioneer College in Arizona, but transferred to Yavapai after NPC dropped its basketball prorgram.
On a deep and balanced Rougrider squad, Price averages 14.9 points per game.
Price is a garbage man deluxe who uses his stocky 220 pound frame well. Despite limited bounce, he has great hands and good touch around the basket.
"He's so good with his body inside and shoots the ball well," Thompson said. "He's hard for other teams to match up with, because he can post up a guard or bring a big man away from the basket."
Eastern Washington, Portland State and a host of Division II programs are courting Price this winter.
According to Coach Thompson, Price is the one sophomore on his team that is at risk academically. He will need the summer to graduate at a minimum.
JUCO Junction will continue to keep you posted on all of the Yavapai sophomores as the spring signing period approaches. Stay tuned!