Hutchinson Community College sophomore forward Matt Mayers was named the 2021 Jayhawk West Most Valuable Player on Thursday as the KJCCC announced its 2021 All-League teams.

Garden City Community College's Denver Jones was tapped as the Jayhawk West's Freshman of the Year.

Hutchinson sophomore Majok Kuath was named the league's Defensive Player of the Year

Soon-to-be departing Hutchinson Community College head coach Steve Eck was named the league's Coach of the Year for 2021, leading the Blue Dragons to an outright league title and a berth in the 2021 NJCAA Tournament.

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MOST VALUABLE PLAYER – MATT MAYERS, HUTCHINSON
To say Matt Mayers, a 6-foot-8 forward from Hastings-On-Hudson, New York, had a breakout season in 2021 might be an understatement.

As a Blue Dragon freshman Mayers, averaged 5 to 7 minutes per game. As a sophomore, Mayers put the Blue Dragons on his back and carried the load for Hutchinson to claim a Jayhawk West title.

For the season, Mayers averaged 19.0 points per game, which is fifth in the KJCCC this season. He averaged a double-double with 10.1 rebounds per game, which ranks fifth in the league. Mayers had 12 double-doubles this season, including nine in a row.

Mayers shot 60.3 percent from the floor, which ranks seventh in the KJCCC. He shoots 81.3 percent from the free-throw line.

Mayers had a career-high 44 points and 16 rebounds against Cowley on February 17. That point total was the fourth highest in Blue Dragon single-game history. He had five games of 12 or more rebounds.

Mayers is the seventh Blue Dragon to earn KJCCC Player of the Year honors since 2013.

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR – DENVER JONES, GARDEN CITY
Despite missing five games because of injury, Garden City guard Denver Jones opens plenty of eyes in his freshman season with the Broncbusters.

Jones, a 6-foot-4, 195-pound freshman from New Market, Alabama, was third in the Jayhawk Conference this season at 19.1 points per game.

Jones shot 47.0 percent overall, 40.0 percent from 3-point range and 90.8 percent from the foul line, which was third best in the league this season.

Jones also averaged 3.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game.

Jones had eight games of 20 or more points, including season highs of 27 against both Neosho County and Barton. Jones scored 26 points in his Buster debut against Cowley in January.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR – MAJOK KUATH, HUTCHINSON
A 6-foot-8 sophomore forward from Salt Lake City, Hutchinson's Majok Kuath helped the Blue Dragons rank among the top defensive teams in the Jayhawk Conference this season.

Kuath was third in the Jayhawk Conference this season with 49 blocked shots. He was 20th in the league in rebounding with 6.4 boards per game.

Kuath had a career-high six blocked shots against Butler and had four or more rejections four times this season.

COACH OF THE YEAR – STEVE ECK, HUTCHINSON
This past Saturday, Eck coached in the Region VI Tournament championship game. On Sunday, Eck and the Blue Dragons learned they were an at-large bid to the 2021 NJCAA Tournament. On Monday, Eck announced he was stepped down as head coach of the Blue Dragons and on Tuesday, he was announced as the new head coach at Kapaun-Mt. Carmel High School in Wichita.

Wednesday brings Eck his third Jayhawk West Coach of the Year honor with the Blue Dragons and the fourth time overall.

Eck guided the Blue Dragons to an 18-6 overall record this season. The Blue Dragons won the Jayhawk West by two games. With a Region VI quarterfinal victory over Independence and a semifinal win over No. 5 Coffeyville, the Dragons played in their eighth regional tournament championship game in the last nine seasons.

With the Blue Dragons, the 2021 NJCAA Tournament appearance is the sixth under Eck with a national championship in 2017 and national runner-up finish in 2016.