GCCC in Thanksgiving Classic
Garden City Women (3-6) vs. New Mexico (6-3)-pregame 5:15 p.m.; tip off 5:30 p.m.
Radio: AM 1030 KBUF (Mike Pilosof and Ross Miller)|Online: www.westernkansasnews.com/kbuf|Smartphone: kbufmobile.com and tuneinradio app on Iphone and Android: KBUF
Garden City, Kan (westernkansasnews.com)-Undoubtedly the wins will come for first-year Lady Busters Head Coach Nick Salazar. But the rookie leader has had plenty of agony over the first nine games.
Last Tuesday, the Busters blew a 12-point second-half lead at Otero and lost by one. Fast forward seven days later and Salazar watched his team get blitzed by now 10-1 Butler.
“We’re going to be fine,” Salazar said following Tuesday’s loss. “We have the talent; it’s just a question of everything coming together.”
The schedule doesn’t get any easier Friday night with the opening of the 55th Garden City Thanksgiving Classic-6-3 New Mexico comes to town searching for their fourth consecutive victory. Of course it was just two years ago that Drew Sanders led the Thunderbirds to their first region championship in program history and a fifth place finish at the National Tournament.
“He (Sanders) has his team running exactly what he wants,” Salazar proclaimed. “They’re not as athletic as Butler was but they will run plenty of sets on the offensive end of the floor.”
Garden City Men (5-2) vs. Wayland Baptist JV (2-8)-Immediately following women’s game
Radio: AM 1030 KBUF (Mike Pilosof and Ross Miller)|Online: www.westernkansasnews.com/kbuf|Smartphone: kbufmobile.com and tuneinradio app on Iphone and Android: KBUF
Garden City, Kan (westernkansasnews.com)-The Busters know defense-that was fairly evident through the first couple of weeks of the season. What’s even scarier is their offense is finally coming around.
Despite some of his players stuck in shooting slumps (Jalen Variste is 3-for-his last 24 from the field), Garden City is scoring the basketball. More specifically: Jeremy Wilson has stepped to the forefront.
The sophomore from Wichita has ignited a once stagnant Buster offense to the tune of 10.4 points per game and 6.9 rebounds a contest-including a 20 point, 11 board performance in Monday’s win over Lamar. The caveat: He was 11-of-12 from the free throw line. It was a sight for sore eyes for first-year Head Coach Brady Trenkle.
“That’s what we stress,” said Trenkle, responding to his veteran’s soft touch at the charity stripe on Monday. “We’ll take 11-of-12 any day of the week.”
Thanks to a cancellation by Cole College (seven ineligible players), Garden City will battle Wayland Baptist JV, and while the varsity is off to their best start in few years, the junior varsity has just two wins in 10 games.
With who’s in front of them, expect another solid offensive showing.
