WEST PLAINS, Mo. – The NIACC men’s basketball team opens its season Friday and Saturday at the Missouri State-West Plains tournament against a pair of NJCAA Division I schools.
NIACC plays Snead State (Alabama) at 2 p.m. on Friday and Otero Junior College (Colorado) at 5 p.m. on Saturday.
NIACC returns five sophomores from last year’s team that was 19-12 overall and 6-8 in the ICCAC.
Leading the list of returnees is first-team all-American David Humphries (Adelaide, Australia). Humphries averaged 20.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per game as a freshman.
Other returners for the Trojans are guard Sam Skogen (Mason City, Ia.), post Matthew Don (London, England) and post John Hafoka (Adelaide, Australia).
Skogen averaged 9.5 points with 75 assists and 43 steals a year ago. Don average 9.3 points and 6.8 rebounds.
After this weekend’s tournament, NIACC hosts the annual Konigsmark Klassic on Nov. 8-9 in the NIACC gym.
NIACC notes – Mark Mohl begins his sixth season as coach of the Trojans with a record of 77-73 … The 19 wins last season was the most for a Mohl-coached team at NIACC … Humphries enters his sophomore season with 577 points, 217 rebounds, 120 assists, 66 steals and 65 3-point goals … Three players in NIACC men’s basketball history have 1,000 career points and 400 career rebounds …. Terry McKissick (1971-73) has 1,486 points and 804 rebounds … Ryan Pippett (1994-96) has 1,150 points and 605 rebounds and Paul Bruns has 1,020 points and 466 rebounds.
