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The Dodge City Community College men's basketball team was expected to be at or near the top of the 2021-22 KJCCC title chase this season. Garden City was picked ninth in the preseason coaches' poll.

The Conquistadors did what they were predicted to do by winning both the KJCCC and Region VI titles. Garden City far exceeded preseason expectations and finished third in the conference and reached the Region VI semifinals.

Both programs earned plenty of postseason recognition in the 2022 All-Jayhawk Conference/All-Region VI Division I Men's Basketball Teams.

Garden City's Mohamed Diarra was named the conference's Player of the Year and Co-Defensive Player of the year. Broncbuster guard Tone Hunter was named the league's Freshman of the Year.

Dodge City head coach Jake Williams was tapped as the KJCCC Coach of the Year. Guard Themus Fulks was the conference's Newcomer of the Year and Nick Pringle was a Co-Defensive Player of the Year.

MOHAMED DIARRA, GARDEN CITY – Player of the Year

Mohamed Diarra was a central figure in Garden City's turnaround season. The 6-foot-10, 215-pound sophomore forward from Paris, France was the KJCCC's fifth-leading scorer, top rebounder and was second in blocked shots and fifth in steals this season.

In 30 games played, Diarra averaged 17.8 points and 12.6 rebounds per game, a rebounding mark that made him the nation's leader in rebounds this season.

Diarra shot 45.2 percent from the floor, including 30.0 percent with 30 makes from beyond the 3-point line this season. Diarra shot 71.4 percent from the free-throw line. He got to the free-throw line more than any other KJCCC player this season, getting to the stripe 206 times.

Diarra had 18 double-doubles this season, posting season highs of 28 points against Barton on Jan. 17, 24 rebounds against the Friends University JV on November 5 and seven blocked shots against Hutchinson on February 23. He had 25 games scoring in double figures, including 13 20-plus point games. Diarra had 21 double-figure rebounding games, including three of 20 or more boards.

Totaling 71 blocked shots, 56 steals and 269 defensive rebounds, Diarra was also named the KJCCC's co-Defensive Player of the Year. Diarra registered at least one blocked shot in 28 of 30 games played this season.

JAKE WILLIAMS, DODGE CITY – Coach of the Year
When Williams came to Dodge City, he was tasked to end two dubious streaks. His mission was accomplished in Year No. 2 with the Conquistadors.

Winning the Jayhawk Conference by four games this season, Dodge City won its first league crown since 2007. Then, after a thrilling 98-96 overtime victory over Hutchinson in the Region VI Tournament Championship game, the Conquistadors snapped a 40-year national tournament drought and enters the 2022 NJCAA Tournament as the No. 2 overall seed.

Williams, to this point, has led the Conquistadors to a 29-4 record, which ties the all-time single-season record for wins. The Conquistadors head into the national tournament riding a 12-game winning streak.

Williams is 33-13 in two seasons with the Conquistadors

TONE HUNTER, GARDEN CITY – Freshman of the Year
A 6-foot-1, 160-point point guard from Las Vegas, Tone Hunter was the spark that took Garden City's offense to another level this season.

Hunter averaged 17.8 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists to lead the Broncbusters this season. He was the Jayhawk Conference's fourth leading scorer and was fourth in the league in assists with 3.7 per game. Hunter shot 42.0 percent from the floor, 26.2 percent from behind the arc and 75.3 percent at the free-throw line.

Hunter had a blistering start to the season with a pair of 30-point games in his first seven in a Garden City uniform. Hunter exploded for a career-high 37 points to lead Garden City to a 132-127 win over Hutchinson on January 15.

Hunter scored in double figures in 24 of 31 games played, including games of 20 or more points 18 times and games of 30 or more points five times. Hunter had a career-high 10 assists against Seward County on December 8. He posted game of five or more assists eight times.

THEMUS FULKS, DODGE CITY – Newcomer of the Year
The catalyst for Dodge City's run to the KJCCC and Region VI titles this season, Themus Fulks was the leader of the Conquistadors in 2022.

Fulks, a 6-foot-1, 175-point sophomore from Winston Salem, North Carolina, transferred to Dodge City from South Carolina State University.

Fulks averaged 14.8 points per game this season and led the Jayhawk Conference with 5.5 assists per game. He shot 54.3 percent overall and 40.3 percent from 3-point range.

Fulks had two games with 10 assists against Barton and Hutchinson. The league's top assist producer had 22 games of five or more assists.

Perhaps the biggest single play of Fulks' season came at the biggest time for the Conquistadors. In the final seconds of overtime of the Region VI championship game, Hutchinson nearly got a turnover, which would have led to a game-winning breakaway layup. Fulks dove on the floor to keep possession and then lobbed a pass for the eventual Dodge City game winner with 0.6 seconds left. Fulks finished the game with a career-high 33 points.

NICK PRINGLE, DODGE CITY – Co-Defensive Player of the Year
A 6-foot-10, 220-pound forward from Seabrook, South Carolina and Wofford College, Pringle was one of the imposing defenders and rebounders in the KJCCC this season.

Pringle's stock went through the roof with a 13-point, 19-rebound performance against Hutchinson on December 11.

Pringle had 13 games of 10 or more rebounds, including a career-high 20 boards against Hutchinson on February 9.

Pringle had 38 blocked shots, which was 10th in the KJCCC this season.

ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
Nick Pringle, Dodge City
Mohamed Diarra, Garden City
Blaise Keita, Coffeyville
Treylon Payne, Butler
Allen Mukeba, Colby