WICHITA – After last year’s incredible season that went all the way to the NJCAA Championship Game, the Hutchinson Community College women’s basketball team is very much in a re-load mode as the 2012-13 season is just a couple of weeks from beginning.
With no starters back from last year’s 36-1 team that lost to Trinity Valley in the title game, sixth-year head coach John Ontjes’ current team was picked to finish third in the Jayhawk West in the annual preseason coaches’ poll released on Monday at the Jayhawk Conference Media Day in Wichita.
Hutchinson has just four players returning from last year’s 36-1 team that won the Jayhawk West for the second-straight season and captured the program’s third Region VI crown in program history. Of the four returning players, three contributed significantly off the bench.
Sophomore forward Jasmine Patterson is a six-foot sophomore forward from Frisco, Texas, who averaged 7.8 points and shot 43.4 percent. She averaged just better than four rebounds per game.
Sophomore guard Aja Sorrells is 5-9 guard from Athens, Ga., who averaged 5.1 points per game.
Sophomore guard Jade Herl is a 5-7 shooting guard from Goodland, who averaged 3.9 points and shot 39.1 percent from 3-point range.
Also back are sophomore Kyrsten Crawford and redshirt transfer Chrisstasia Walters. Crawford is a 6-foot sophomore forward from Augusta who was injured at the start of last season injured. She played in 16 games. Walters is a 5-8 guard from Texarkana, Arkansas who played with the University of Arkansas in the 2010-11 season.
Stacy Mgbike is a 6-0 freshman from Olathe who transferred to HCC from Missouri Western. The Lady Dragons will still have a Patrick on the roster. Jamie Patrick, younger sister of All-American Laura Patrick will be a freshman. There are five other freshmen on the roster.
The Lady Dragons were picked behind Seward County and Garden City in the West this season. Butler was picked fourth and Cloud County was fifth. Rounding out picks 6 through 9 are Barton, Pratt, Dodge City and Colby.
Cowley was picked to win the east.
Hutchinson will open the season on Nov. 3-4 with the Quarterback Classic. HCC will play the Ottawa University Junior Varsity on Nov. 3 and Labette on Nov. 4
The Lady Dragons will scrimmage Fort Hays State at the Sports Arena at 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 26.
(HCC Sports Information)
JAYHAWK WEST COACHES POLL
1. Seward County
2. Garden City
3. Hutchinson
4. Butler
5. Cloud County
6. Barton
7. Pratt
8. Dodge City
9. Colby
JAYHAWK EAST COACHES POLL
1. Cowley
2. Independence
3. Johnson County
4. Coffeyville
5. Allen
6. Labette
7. Highland
8. Kansas City
9. Neosho County
10. Fort Scott
