Here's some notes, quotes and an opinion or two while realistically wondering if either of the John Brown University basketball teams will end up in the NAIA National Tournament.
• Currently, it's not looking good for either squad because both need to win the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament next week to make it in. But I've seen crazier things happen, and just as soon as you start to count out JBU, they'll do something to surprise you -- see last year's NAIA Division I Women's National Tournament, when I was scrambling to find an airline ticket to Kentucky.
• And what a pleasant surprise it would be for either team to make the national tournament. I'd love to have a trip to the Kansas City area this March. The men's tournament will be at Municipal Auditorium again, while the women's tournament will be in close-by Independence, Mo. Great barbecue and good basketball always seem to go well together.
• The quote of the night from last Saturday comes from none other than former JBU assistant and current Southwestern Assemblies of God head coach Donnie Bostwick.
Here's Bostwick on JBU 6-9 senior forward Max Hopfgartner, who went scoreless in the first half of the Golden Eagles' 69-66 loss to SAGU but scored 19 points in less than eight minutes in the second half.
"Hopfgartner's amazing," Bostwick said. "Oh my goodness. He's Dirk Nowitzki. I'm just amazed by that young man. He's killed us both times."
Hopfgartner scored 29 points against SAGU in an 84-81 Lions win on Jan. 15.
I like the Nowitzki compliment. Nowitzki -- the 7-foot Dallas Mavericks All-Star from Würzburg, Germany -- and Hopfgartner are both big men who can shoot the lights out. Max got red-hot in the second half for JBU on Saturday and nearly single-handily carried the Golden Eagles to a win.
• It was great to see senior Lauren Rogers become the 16th player in JBU women's basketball history to score 1,000 career points. Rogers hit that mark last Thursday against Wayland Baptist, and she was honored before Saturday's final home game against SAGU.
• Also classy was JBU's tribute to redshirt junior post Jared Johnson, who up until Saturday had not been able to play this season due to a knee injury.
Johnson, who will graduate this year, not only dressed out but started the game for the Golden Eagles and played nearly two minutes in his final home game at JBU. He also grabbed a rebound.
Johnson, who helped lead West Fork to a 3A State Championship game appearance in 2011, played a ton during his freshman season in 2011-12, missed all of 2012-13 with an injury, and returned strong for JBU in 2013-14.
-- Graham Thomas is the managing editor for the Herald-Leader. He can be reached at [email protected]. The opinions expressed are those of the author.
Sports on 02/25/2015