[ By STEVE CARPENTER ]
[ HCC Sports Information ]
Photo courtesy of HCC Sports Information
HUTCHINSON, KAN. — After leading the Hutchinson Community College men’s basketball team to the 2017 NJCAA National Championship, sophomores Shakur Juiston and Samajae Haynes-Jones are receiving more individual honors.
Juiston was named to the first team of the 2017 NJCAA All-America teams, which were released on Thursday. Haynes-Jones was a second-team selection.
This is the second-straight year the Blue Dragons have had a player on the All-America teams – Bashir Ahmed in 2016 – and it’s only the second time in program history to have placed two players on the same All-America team. Juiston and Haynes-Jones join the 1994 duo of Roy “Pooh” Hairston and Ben Davis as Blue Dragons on the same All-America Team.
Juiston and Haynes-Jones become the 30th and 31st All-Americans in Blue Dragon history. Juiston is the 10th first-team selection and Haynes-Jones is the fifth second-team honoree. The 2017 duo are the sixth and seventh All-Americans at Hutchinson coached by Steve Eck.
Juiston and Haynes-Jones led the 2016-17 Blue Dragons to a 35-2 overall record, a second-straight Jayhawk Conference championship, a second-straight berth in the NJCAA Tournament and the Blue Dragons’ third national championship in team history, the first since 1994.
SHAKUR JUISTON
In March, Juiston was named the 2017 Jayhawk Conference and Region VI Player of the Year.
Juiston’s numbers were impressive to say the least as he averaged a double-double for the season at 17.3 points and 12.1 rebounds per game. Juiston shot 60.9 percent from the field and averaged 3.9 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.8 blocked shots per game.
He had four double-doubles in the NJCAA Tournament. He had tournament highs of 88 points, 56 rebounds and averaged 5.0 assists and 2.5 steals per game over four games.
For the season, Juiston had 26 double-doubles and one triple-double.
Juiston broke the Blue Dragons’ single-game rebound record of 20 against Dodge City and then went on to break the program’s career rebounding record of 741.
Juiston’s 446 total rebounds this past season were third most in team history. His 12.1 boards per game average tied Ben Davis (1994) for sixth on the season list. His 67 blocks were seventh most in team season history.
Justin ranked fourth in Region VI in scoring, third in field-goal percentage, led the league in rebounding and tied for the conference lead in blocked shots.
SAMAJAE HAYNES-JONES
In addition to All-America honors, Haynes-Jones was first-team All-Jayhawk Conference and All-Region VI. He was named to the Region VI Tournament All-Tournament Team and also earned a spot on the NJCAA Tournament All-Tournament Team.
Haynes-Jones was second on the team in scoring in 2017 and was the Blue Dragons top 3-point shooter. She averaged 16.1 points per game, while shooting 46.4 percent overall and 42.0 percent from 3-point range. His 89.6 percent free-throw shooting mark is third best in Blue Dragon single-season history.
He finished his Blue Dragon career with 1,163 points, which is ninth on the Hutch career scoring list, 3rd on the made 3-point career list with 124 and second on the career free-throw percentage list at 86.1 percent.
Haynes-Jones also averaged this season 3.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game. He had 32 games in double figures with 11 of those at 20 or more points.
In the national tournament, Haynes-Jones averaged 16.3 points with a high of 26 points against St. Petersburg in the second round and 20 points against Odessa College in the quarterfinals.
NJCAA ALL-AMERICANS
First team
2017 – Shakur Juiston
2016 – Bashir Ahmed
2014 – Kadeem Allen
2013 – Kadeem Allen
2009 – Darius Johnson-Odom
2008 – Bobby Maze
2004 – Brandon “Pooh” Gary
1994 – Roy “Pooh” Hairston
1987 – Tyrone Jones
1973 – Rudy Jackson
Second team
2017 – Samajae Haynes-Jones
1994 – Ben Davis
1972 – Richard Morsden
1960 – Bill French
1958 – Merle Harris
Third team
1993 – Roy “Pooh” Hairston
1966 – Terry Stratman
1956 – Bob Harvey
Honorable mention
2015 – Bashir Ahmed
2011 – Joe Mitchell
1995 – Demetrius Alexander
1988 – William Davis
1984 – Ed Manuel
1974 – Charles Terry
1970 – Bob Moser
1969 – Ray Willis
1968 – Lee Allen
1967 – Mike Jones
1961 – Herb Stange
1956 – Al Schwartzkoft
1955 – Artie Schippers