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Top stories 2011: Tiger team one of a kind
12/27/2011
By CONOR NICHOLL
cnicholl@dailynews.net
The crafty play and highlight reel moves from guard Dominique Jones. The consistent, steady performance of Corbin Kuntzsch. The shot-blocking ability and deft touch of forwards Ken Bowman and Dijon Smith. Last season, the senior quartet earned all-MIAA honors and propelled the Fort Hays State University men's basketball team to its second straight second-place finish in the MIAA and second round exit in the NCAA Division II tournament.
As well, the Tigers won the MIAA postseason conference tournament, the first FHSU squad to win a regular season or postseason MIAA tournament title since the school switched leagues five and a half years ago.
Overall, FHSU finished 26-7 and became the third team in coach Mark Johnson's 10 years to win an NCAA tournament contest. FHSU's success was one of The HDN's Top Stories for 2011. All four players averaged double figures, and supplemented by guard Ben Congiusta -- the fifth starter -- and a strong bench, helped FHSU average 81.3 points per game.
Fort Hays finished the regular season with three losses in its final five contests before it won three games to capture the postseason tournament crown in Kansas City, Mo. FHSU beat Missouri Western State University, 86-85, then defeated Emporia State University, 74-71, to move into the final against Missouri Southern State University, a team that defeated the Tigers twice in the regular season. Fort Hays defeated Southern, 89-83. Jones scored 30 points to tie the MIAA tournament championship game record.
"Especially being the first time to do it in Fort Hays history, it is big for the university and our guys," Jones said after. "Just a special feeling."
Then, FHSU defeated West Texas A&M, 75-49, in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The season ended with an 81-69 loss to University of Central Oklahoma in the second round.
Jones collected first team all-conference honors for the second straight season, earned the MIAA conference tournament MVP award and All-American recognition. Jones collected 17.9 points per game and a conference-best 6.3 assists per contest. Johnson called Jones' season the best individual year in his coaching tenure.
"(Jones) is very solid," Southwest Baptist (Mo.) University coach Jeff Guiot said last year. "Makes plays down the stretch. Wants the ball in his hands, relishes those situations."
Smith and Kuntzsch picked up all-MIAA conference tournament honors; Smith also earned co-MIAA Defensive Player of the Year and was second team all-MIAA. Bowman and Kuntzsch were earned all-conference honorable mention. Smith and Bowman finished first and fourth, respectively, in the conference in blocked shots per game.
"Those guys are back there that can either block a shot or at least change a shot," Johnson said. "I think that if we didn't have those guys and maybe didn't have any shot-blockers, our defense wouldn't be nearly what it is. Because we do athletically have breakdowns a little more often than we have had in the past just because of our makeup. Those guys have been able to limit the final result of some of our mistakes."
All four players finished in the top-10 in FHSU annals for multiple season and career statistics. Jones is third all-time in single season assists, fifth in career assists and fifth in field goal percentage. Smith and Bowman each finished in the top-six in career blocks.
Kuntzsch, a four-year starter, started every game since the start of his sophomore year and set the Tigers' record for career games played in the NCAA Division II era.
He finished in the top-11 in school history in career steals, points, assists, rebounds, free throw percentage, fouls and 3-point fields made and 3-point field goals attempted.
"Just has a tremendous feel for the game," Johnson said. "He has been a joy to coach. Feel fortunate that we got to coach him and be a real disappointment when he is not with us anymore."
| Scoreboard | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Date | Opponent | Score |
| 2/18 | SW Baptist | L 66-53 | |
| 12/1 | Oklahoma - Panhandle | L 66-60 (OT) | |