Three Broncbusters land on all-conference team
By Mike Pilosof
Garden City, KS-Coming off one of their most successful seasons in the last decade, the Garden City men's basketball team reaped the benefits.
Freshman Jamir Thomas along with sophomores Pierre Johnson and Kendale Hampton were named to All-Jayhawk team, released on Thursday.
Thomas enjoyed a breakout freshman season, averaging 13.1 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game. He recorded nine double-doubles and ranked second in the conference in blocks and third in rebounds. He averaged nearly a double-double in three postseason games, helping Garden City reach the Region VI semifinals.
Johnson, who transferred from Seward County, was considered one of the top point guards in the conference. The sophomore led the region in assists and assist to turnover ratio. He averaged 12 points per game, reaching double figures 22 times including a season-best 24 vs. Pratt and Colby.
Hampton's name will forever be synonymous with the greatest-clutch shot in the history of the program. During Sunday's Region VI quarterfinals vs. Cowley County, Hampton hit a fade away, contested 3-pointer from the right wing as time expired in overtime to lift the Broncbusters to a come-from-behind victory. The sophomore then opened the semifinal showdown with Coffeyville by hitting three 3's in the first three minutes of the game.
"He's a special player," Head Coach Brady Trenkle said.
Hampton's shot was something that you don't normally see at the college level: a pure, double-clutch, high elevation jumper that he can get off whenever he wanted. There was no defense for it, and his seven 3-pointer performance vs. Hutchinson late in the season proved just that.
For the season, Hampton averaged over 13 points, and shot 42 percent from downtown. He finished sixth in the Jayhawk in 3-point percentage and fourth in made triples.