Blue Dragon Sports Information

The Hutchinson Community College men's basketball team opens its 23th all-time appearance in the NJCAA Tournament bright and early Monday with Kilgore College.

The 16th-seeded Blue Dragons (18-6) take on the 17th-seeded Rangers (18-5) in the opening game of the tournament at 10 a.m. on Monday at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.

The three-time national champion Blue Dragons (1988, 1994, 2017) are 49-25 all-time in the NJCAA Tournament, including 12-5 in opening-round games.

The Dragons' last appearance in the national tournament was 2018. That run ended in the second round.

The Jayhawk West champion and Region VI runner-up Blue Dragons make their sixth and final appearance in the NJCAA Tournament under head coach Steve Eck, who announced last week he is stepping down after the tournament run for Hutchinson is complete.

The Blue Dragons earned one of the eight at-large bids after defeating No. 5 Coffeyville 76-75 in the Region VI semifinals and falling to No. 15 Cowley 116-107 in the title game. The Red Ravens and Tigers are both in the tournament field.

Kilgore (18-5) makes its second tournament appearance in the last seven seasons for head coach Brian Hoberecht, who was the head coach at Dodge City from 2000-08. Kilgore won the Region XIV championship, defeating Trinity Valley 68-67 in the regional championship game. The Rangers also defeated Blinn and Navarro in the Region XIV Tournament.

Hutchinson and Kilgore have not played since January 3, 1995, and it will be only the fourth time the Blue Dragons and Rangers will battle.

The teams have meet in the NJCAA Tournament. Kilgore defeated Hutchinson 83-78 in the 1958 national tournament semifinals.

The Hutchinson-Kilgore winner will play the No. 1-overall seed Mineral Area Cardinals in the second round at 2 p.m. on Tuesday at the Sports Arena.

The Blue Dragons are led by 2021 Jayhawk West Player of the Year Matt Mayers, Defensive Player of the Year Majok Kuath and all-conference guard Josh Baker.