Kansas City Kansas Community College

The bad news for Kansas City Kansas Community College men’s basketball coach Jon Oler is that he’s got three two-year starters and two top reserves to replace.

The good news is that he may not have far to go to rebuild for 2009-10. Five Blue Devils who started six or more games this past season will return including one at each position.

Starters Derrick Denny, a 6-4 forward from Green Bay, Wis., and 5-11 point guard Melvin Gatson from Sumner Academy, will be back along with 6-3 shooting guard Scott Fruehling of SM Northwest, 6-5 forward Jonathon Wright of St. Joseph (Mo.) Leblond and 6-8 center Andre Metoyer of Alexandria, La.

Denny had a spectacular freshman campaign, leading the Jayhawk in 3-point goals with 108 and finishing second in 3-point accuracy with a dazzling 45.0 percent clip. Only two Blue Devils have ever scored more 3-point goals in a season, Maurice Lamar (161) and Jason Jemison (113) – both in their sophomore seasons – and no one has ever been more accurate from the perimeter.

“He’s the best catch and shoot guy I’ve ever had,” says Oler. “And he did it with people chasing him all over. He was able to cut and get the ball off so quickly. Once he made the transition to the college level, he was really good.” In the last 11 games of the season, Denny had 55 3-point goals, a 5.0 per game average, including 7 of 8 in an 82-79 win at Highland that was the second best percentage-wise in KCKCC annals. An 84.2 percent free throw shooter, Denny led the Blue Devils in scoring with a 13.3 scoring average.

Gatson was the only other Blue Devil in double figures. Averaging 11.0 points, he was also second in assists (3.0) and steals (30) and one of the conference’s leading free throwers at .826. Fruehling averaged 4.5 points and 3.2 rebounds in six starts, Wright 3.6 points and 2.2 rebounds in nine starts and Metoyer 2.8 points and 2.7 rebounds.

“Fruehling, Wright and Metoyer all need to work in the gym this summer and get stronger and if they do, we have a chance to be pretty good,” says Oler.

Gone will be three starters – leading rebounder Jack Shortell, who averaged 6.9 rebounds and 8.2 points; floor general Derrick Howard, who finished sixth in the Jayhawk in both assists (4.8) and steals (1.9) while averaging 6.5 points; and forward Travis Fairley, third in scoring (9.8) and second in rebounding (4.7). John Hale, who played in all 31 games while averaging 2.2 points and 2.2 rebounds, and Josh Grayson, who average 1.9 in 25 games, will also depart.

“You look at our record and it was terrible (10-21) and yet it was a very competitive team,” said Oler, whose team had only two losses by more than 13 points. “It was a good group to work with and I never thought we went into a game where we didn’t have a chance. We lost two games in overtime and were in a lot of games but couldn’t get a second scorer to show up.” Typical was the Blue Devils’ play against the Jayhawk East co-champions. Cowley escaped 60-57 while KCKCC was within five points with less than five minutes to go at Coffeyville before losing 76-55.

Now in the recruiting season, Oler has targeted several area standouts. “We need another scorer or two, a point guard and three big men for the four and five positions.”