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Kavaliauskas
inks with A&M, Salazar to Georgia Southern; 4 others to Division
II
The Barton County Community College men’s basketball team
has had six players from the 2004-05 team sign to play basketball
at the NCAA Division I and II levels next season. Headlining the
list is 1st Team All Jayhawk West player Antanas Kavaliauskas. Kavaliauskas
signed a letter Monday to play basketball for Texas A&M University
next season. Diogo Salazar was the only other Cougar to sign with
Division I program, inking to play for Georgia Southern. In addition,
four more players signed to play with Division II schools within
the state.
Antanas
Kavaliauskas
Kavaliauskas
was the 1st Cougar since Mark Hutton more than 10 years ago to average
a double double for the season. The 6-11 sophomore from Lithuania
averaged 17.6 points and an even 10 rebounds per contest this season.
He shot nearly 60 percent from the floor, hitting 230-of-390 shots.
He chose A&M over South Carolina and Tennessee, both members
of the Southeastern Conference.
“I
believe it was the best situation for me,” Kavaliauskas said
of his decision to play for A&M next season. “I think
the Big XII is the best conference in the nation. The Southeastern
Conference is more of a running conference. For the past two years
with Coach Campbell we have been playing high-low, much like Coach
Gillespie is doing at A&M.”
Bill
Gillespie just took over the A&M program this past season and
took the Aggies 7 wins to a 21-10 season and 3rd round contest in
the NIT before their season finally came to an end.
“I
expect to play right away,” Kavaliauskas said of next season
at A&M. “They told me I will be the next part of the puzzle
to make them a stronger team.”
Kavaliauskas
had a career-high of 29 points against Seward County this season
and grabbed 21 rebounds in a game against Southwest Missouri State-West
Plains this year. That was 4th best all-time at Barton.
Diogo
Salazar
Salazar
said he was pretty much focused in on Georgia Southern all along
and didn’t consider too many other schools. The 6-9 power
forward from Brazil came on big during the conference season for
Barton, finishing the year averaging 5.8 points and 3.8 rebounds.
During Jayhawk West play, Salazar averaged 8.1 points and 4.4 rebounds.
“They
have a good basketball program and they have a good engineering
program,” Salazar said of his decision to attend the Southern
League school. Last season the Eagles went 18-13 and finished 3rd
in the conference.
Salazar
had a career-high 14 points at Cloud this year.
Scott
Elliott and Caleb Tegtmeier
Elliott and Tegtmeier will make their way to Emporia next season
to play for the Emporia State, an NCAA Division II school. Elliott,
a sophomore, averaged 4.3 points and 2.8 rebounds this season for
the Cougars, starting in 23 of the 29 games he played in this year.
Elliott scored a career-high 17 against North Platte.
Tegtmeier
will be returning home where he starred at Emporia High. Tegtmeier,
a freshman, played sparingly in the pre conference season but during
conference play, he started 15 of the 16 games and averaged 7.5
points and 4.3 rebounds. He was also among the top 3-point shooters
in the West, hitting 45 percent during the conference and 40 percent
for the entire season. He got career highs of 16 points and 14 rebounds
at Pratt this season.
Dylan
Channel and Adam Head
Channel and Head are two more freshman who will make their way to
the NCAA Division II next season, heading to Washburn University.
For Head it will be homecoming, graduating from Topeka Hayden High
School. Head started 10 games this year for Barton, averaging 1
point and 1 rebound as well as 1.2 assists. His high was a 5-point
outing against Butler and Seward.
Channel
averaged 3.8 points and 1.7 rebounds his freshman season. He scored
in double figures 3 times, including a 22-point outing against Winchester
when his 3-pointer in the final seconds sent the game to overtime.
Stats
Full box scores and stats can be found at www.bartonccc.edu/sports
Next
Sat., Feb. 5 – at Pratt, 8 pm (Jayhawk West contest at the
Beaver Dome in Pratt)
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Check
out Barton County Basketball Online at www.bartonccc.edu/sports
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