News Releases 2004-05
April 20, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Release by Mike Marzolf
Photos available upon request

For More Information
Soupy Campbell, coach (620) 792-9279
Mike Marzolf, SID, (620) 792-9310
marzolfm@bartonccc.edu

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