Mineral Area College 2008-09 Player Signings
Mineral Area College has inked several players for the upcoming season. The Cardinals are looking to reload in order to win back-to-back MCCAC Conference Championships, (three titles in the last four years). Mineral Area College welcomes the addition of Mike Stovall (Marshall HS, IL - Oregon State University), Kevin Johnson (Simeon HS, IL - Univ. of Wisconsin - Milwaukee), Korey McDaniel (Cuba HS, MO - Missouri Baptist University), and Steve Kerr (Millington Central HS, TN) to the Cardinals family.
Mike Stovall - 6'5" guard - Marshall (Chicago, IL) High School - Oregon State University. Mineral Area College has announced the signing of Oregon State University transfer Mike Stovall. The Marshall High School (Chicago, IL) standout decided to become a Cardinal after a semester in the High-Major Pac-10 Conference at the NCAA DI level. He follows Marshall High (of Hoop Dreams fame) legend Arthur Agee and current Cardinal Jerwin Callaway to Park Hills. Stovall, a 6’5” guard, was a key component in the Commandoes back-to-back 3rd Place finishes in the Illinois State Championships. He led Marshall with over 20 points a game and added 8 plus rebounds and 4 assist a game during his senior season.
He played in seven games the first semester at OSU, averaging about 8 minutes a game. Stovall decided to leave the program that was undergoing organizational changes (Head Coach Jay John was released from his duties during the season) to join other Chicago prep standouts at Mineral Area College. Stovall is a versatile, athletic guard that will be able to fill various roles for the Cardinals next season. He is a big-time shooter that has range from well beyond the three-point arc. Mike is a long and highly athletic player who can really elevate on his shot, but does not need to get many shots to get his points. Stovall was ranked as the #10 player in the 2007 senior class in Illinois by IllinoisHoops.com. He was also rated as a top 20 player in the state of Illinois by Rivals.com (a national recruiting service).
The Scouting Report from MidStatesHoops.com on Stovall is that he is an athletic and versatile guard that has the ability to effectively fill the 1 through 4 positions. Stovall is a very solid player with a lot of potential. He gets to the basket well and knows how to finish in transition. He is both a high-quality finisher on the offensive end and a very solid defender and rebounder.
Kevin Johnson - 6'6" power forward/center - Simeon (Chicago, IL) High School - University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Johnson started his collegiate career at DI University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee as a freshman in 2007. But, he decided to transfer to Mineral Area College in January of 2008. He will be in a MAC Cardinal uniform as a sophomore for the 2008-09 campaign. He follows his high school teammate Brandon Hall to the JUCO in Missouri from Simeon High School in Chicago, IL.
Kevin “K.J.” Johnson is a strong and athletic 6’6” 240 lb. power forward. The Scouting Report from MidStatesHoops.com compared him to Wayne Simeon. “Johnson is an outstanding rebounder that plays aggressive at all times on both ends of the floor. He is a solid shot blocker and tries to slam anything around the basket. With an acquired perimeter game, he could possibly become a high level prospect.” Johnson was a standout performer on back-to-back Illinois AA State Championship teams at Simeon High School. He averaged 16.6 points and 7.4 rebounds a game during his senior season, helping his team to a 30-2 record. The Wolverines captured the Chicago City Title, a Conference Championship, a Regional Championship, the Sectional Championship, and Class AA State Championship under IHSA “Coach of the Year” Robert Smith. Johnson’s play earned him All-Conference (Red South), All-City, and All-State honors.
Kevin made a name for himself on the summer circuit playing for Mean Streets Express out of Chicago, IL. He gained attention from multiple DI programs before deciding on UWM. His AAU team won the Peach Jam and was the runner-up at The Big Time Tournament in Las Vegas, NV, grabbing the attention of recruiters across the nation. His outstanding summer and continued success during his senior season helped him to earn high rankings in the recruiting circuit. According to IllinoisHighSchoolBasketball.com Kevin was listed as the #21 prospect in the state of Illinois as a senior. He was also listed as the #22 prospect in the state by ChicagoHoops.com during his senior year at Simeon. “We are excited to have Kevin as a part of our program here at Mineral Area College,” stated Head Coach Corey Tate. “He is a strong, powerful post player that can score on the block, step out and hit a face up jumper, and really hammers the offensive glass.”
Kory McDaniel - 6'3" shooting guard/wing - Cuba (MO) High School - Missouri Baptist University. McDaniel spent the previous season at Missouri Baptist University, an NAIA affiliate in St. Louis, MO. He becomes the third college transfer to join the Mineral Area College roster for the upcoming season. Korey is a 2006 graduate of Cuba High School (Cuba, MO). “Korey grabbed our attention last year when we played Missouri Baptist in the pre-season. He’s strong, athletic, has a high basketball IQ, and can really shoot the basketball,” commented Cardinals Head Coach Corey Tate. McDaniel averaged 3.2 points and 1.5 rebounds in limited action on the Spartans’ Varsity squad. But, in 4 JV games against junior college competition, McDaniel lit it up with 32.5 PPG and 7.5 RPG.
McDaniel was a solid performer in Missouri small school basketball. “He is a bit of an unknown commodity since he played in a rural school that wasn’t really considered a basketball power. But, he has physically matured and knows how to play the game at the college level,” added MAC Assistant Coach Chad Kish. He averaged 23 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists a game during his senior season at Cuba High School. He was named All-Conference and All-District for Coach Thompson, his fourth high school coach in four years. “We are very excited to have Korey join our program here at Mineral Area College,” stated Corey Tate.
Steve Kerr - 6'1" shooting guard - Millington Central (Memphis, TN) High School. Kerr led Millington Central High School to a 15-15 record during his senior campaign. He averaged 17.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.2 steals a game in 2008. Steve was a true shooter shooting over 50% from the field, 37% from downtown, and 77% from the free-throw line. He made 90 three-pointers last season, compared to 50 made threes for Cards leader Jerwin Callaway. Kerr lit it up playing against a solid Memphis-area schedule, scoring over 30 points on four occasions last season.
Steve grabbed many honors last season, earning an All-Region VII AAA selection, Runner-up District XIV AAA “Player of the Year” (second to Terrico White that signed with DI Ole Miss of the SEC), and “Best of the Preps” for Large Schools in Memphis. He was Millington Central’s MVP and joined the 1,000 Point Club, finishing with 1,181 points in his high school career.
“Steve was a solid three-point shooter at Millington Central. He’ll be a great shooter at the next level. He knows how to score; he can spot up, find lanes in transition, or put it on the deck and get to the hole. He’s a solid all-around player with a great work-ethic,” commented MCHS Head Coach Keith Wood. “He has had to overcome a lot in his life, he understands how to deal with adversity,” added Wood. Read the Commercial Appeal Story: Adversity to Advantage
Kerr was listed as the #5 “Top Available Senior” by 901Prepscoop.com this spring. He was also noted on the “Honorable Mention” list of junior prospects last summer by MemphisHoopers.com. “We really like the quick-release, deep shooting stroke Steve possess. He’s a scoring threat every time he catches the ball. He has solid character, a great work ethic, and battles through adversity. Steve Kerr is the type of player we like to target for our program, he’ll be a great fit at MAC,” stated Assistant Coach Chad Kish.
Returning Players
Mineral Area College will return seven players from the 2007-08 team that won the MCCAC Conference Championship and finished 19-12. 5'10" point-guard Sean Scott from Farragut HS (Chicago, IL) is expected to take a key leadership role. Scott led the team and Region XVI in assists at 6.0, while adding 5.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.6 steals a contest. Brandon Hall, a 6'1" combo-guard from Simeon HS (Chicago, IL), had a solid freshman campaign, and will have an expanded role during his sophomore season. Hall averaged 3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2 asists, and shot 82.4 FT% Gerald Fulton, a 6'2" shooting guard from Hazelwood West HS (St. Louis, MO) came on strong late in the season, scoring a career high 25 points in a Region XVI game at Moberly. Fulton averaged 7.9 points, 3 rebounds, while shooting 38.9 3FG%. Nick Counts, a 6'0" walk-on guard from North County HS (Bonne Terre, MO) was an important component of the team. He scored a team-high 28 points against Missori Baptist University, and was a solid performer during his first-season in a Cardinals uniform averaging 4.2 points a game and shooting 81.8 from the FT line. Eric McCrary, a 6'7" versatile forward from Belleville East HS (Belleville, IL) missed the 2007-08 season after transferring from Southwestern Illinois. The coaching staff expected big things from Eric, but an achillies injury cut his season short. His sharp-shooting and strong rebounding will be a great addition to the line-up, he averaged 7.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, and shot 44.3 3FG% through 5 games. Byron Pickens, a 6'7" wing/forward from Senn HS (Chicago, IL) will move to his more natural position from the center spot this season. Pickens averaged 4.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and shot 42.9 FG%. Jeremy Felton played the bulk of the minutes in the post down the stretch for MAC last season. Felton, a 6'7" post from Belleville West HS (Belleville, IL) averaged 8.6 points, 8.4 rebounds, and shot 49.5 FG%.
The Cardinals will also be helped by a red-shirt and several transfers that were with the team this past season. Josh Elam, a 6'0" shooting guard from Hickman HS (Columbia, MO), was a red-shirt last season and practiced the entire season with the Cardinals. In 2008, he was an All-District selection for Coach Kenny Ash at Hickman HS where he averaged 10.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists a game. "Josh can shoot the ball and is a great competitior. He is a quality person and we expect him to help us have another great season," added MAC Head Coach Corey Tate. Two transfers joined the team at the end of the first semester and practiced with the team during the second semester. Mike Stovall, a 6'5" versatile perimeter player from Marshall HS (Chicago, IL), transferred from PAC 10 Oregon State University. While 6'6" power forward Kevin Johnson transferred from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee after prepping at Simeon High School (Chicago, IL). "We expect big things from Mike and Kevin next season. They got a jump-start on their career here at MAC with the practice time the got in the system during the second semester," stated Corey Tate.
Players Graduating
Mineral Area College will graduate six sophomores from the 2008 team that finished 19-12, and lose one freshman that will transfer to a four-year college with three seasons to play. Three of these players signed NCAA National Letters of Intent, while the other four are still determining their future college. Mineral Area College has produced 25 four-year scholarship winners over the past four seasons.
Jerwin Callaway - 6'2" shooting guard - signs at NCAA DI Northern Illinois University (DeKalb, IL). The Cardinals leading scorer (13.4 PPG) will take his hot shooting (50 made 3FG) to the Division I level next season. Callaway was a MCCAC All-Conference and NJCAA Region XVI All-Region selection in his only season at Mineral Area College. The Marshall HS (Chicago, IL) graduate will be moving back to Illinois for next season. Northern Illinois University is a NCAA DI affiliate of the MAC (Mid-American Conference) located in DeKalb, IL. "Jerwin Callaway is one of the best three-ball shooters that I saw," NIU Head Coach Ricardo Patton said. "There were a lot of BCS programs recruiting him early on, but I think he saw an opportunity to come here and really have a great college career for the next two years."
Callaway came to Mineral Area College in January of 2007. He had a stand-out season as a freshman at Kankakee College before transferring to MAC. He was one of the top scorers in Region XVI as a sophomore and led the Cardinals in many statistical categories. “We’ll miss the explosive scoring that Callaway brought to the table. He’s a solid young man and will have a successful career at NIU,” commented MAC Head Coach Corey Tate. Callaway’s season highlight was at South Georgia Tech in December where he scored 10 points in the first 63 seconds of the game (3 3FG and a FT), leading MAC to a sweep on the Georgia trip.
Barry Wellington - 5"11" combo-guard - inks with NCAA DI SIU-Edwardsville (Edwardsville, IL). The only full two-year letterman on the Mineral Area College roster this season has committed to play his junior season at SIU-Edwardsville. Wellington was a part-time starter for his two seasons in a Cardinals uniform, playing both guard positions. Barry came to MAC from Treadwell High School in Memphis, TN, where he was one of the top scorers in the city as a senior.
Wellington averaged 8.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.1 steals, and shot 26.7% from three playing as a combo-guard during his sophomore season. “He missed six games in the middle of the season due to a broken shooting hand, and really came back into form down the stretch,” stated Corey Tate. “He was one of the quickest players in the Region, has a great mid-range game, and can be explosive off the dribble.” Wellington had a solid freshman season averaging 6.7 points, shot 42.5 % from three, 67.4 from the line, and averaged 2.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.1 steals a game, playing in a guard heavy rotation.
“We are very excited to have Barry join our SIUE family. Barry fits in perfectly for what we were looking for in a guard. He is a tough, hard-nosed worker that believes in a team first concept. He is also a very good play maker that will make people around him better on and off the court. His experience and winning ways that he has developed from Coach Tate and Staff will help us compete at a high level,” commented SIU-E Head Coach Lennox Forrester.
Ryan Lawrence - 6'4" wing - signs after one season at MAC with NCAA DII University of Missouri - St. Louis (St. Louis, MO). Local product Ryan Lawrence has signed a NLI to play the next three seasons at NCAA DII University of Missouri – St. Louis. Ryan was a stand-out at DeSoto High School (DeSoto, MO) in his only season playing for Coach Allen Davis before coming to Mineral Area College. He was named the Cardinal’s Men’s Basketball Scholar Athlete this past week, and earned the team’s highest GPA Award.
Lawrence averaged 5.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 75.9% FT, and shot 30% 3FG. He was a solid performer all season, bringing a competitive work-ethic to the team on a regular basis. “Ryan was our leader in hustle plays this season. If there was a loose ball, Ryan was going to get it,” stated Corey Tate. “He is moving to a four-year school with three years to play, that’s a great opportunity.”
Ryan’s biggest play of the season came in OT against Meramec, where he grabbed an offensive rebound in the final seconds. He finished the play scoring the game-winning basket through a foul, and knocked down a free-throw to complete the three point play. The win helped MAC earn the MCCAC Conference Championship. The most impressive part of the play was that Ryan had come back into the game after breaking two teeth earlier in the second half. “Ryan will be a good fit at UMSL. He has the basketball ability, and academic tools to be a solid performer on the court and in the classroom. He is the type of player and person we are trying to attract to the Triton program,” commented UMSL Head Coach Chris Pilz.
Kyle Hubbard - 6'2" shooting guard -
Marcus Scott - 6'4" forward -
Lamarr Howard - 6'2" guard -
Marquis Young - 6'9" center -
2008 Season in Review
Mineral Area College had another Championship season during the 2007-08 campaign. The Cardinals finished the season with a 19-12 record, winning the MCCAC Conference Championship for the third time in four seasons. Three Mineral Area College players earned MCCAC All-Conference honors (Jerwin Callaway, Marcus Scott, and Barry Wellington). Two Cardinals were also honored on the NJCAA All-Region XVI team (Jerwin Callaway and Marcus Scott).
Mineral Area had a roller-coaster ride during the season, in part to one of the toughest junior college schedules in the nation. The Cards dropped the season opener to Bevill State (AL), but rebounded by winning three in a row, including winning the South Georgia Tech Classic (Americus, GA). A setback to #7 Southwestern Illinois ended a long winning streak at the Sechrest Fieldhouse, but MAC still had one of the best home-court advantages winning 11 out of 14 games, including a 82-66 win over #1 Cincinnati State (OH) in November. MAC had exciting wins over top national opponents during the 2007-08 season. The Cards had a lop-sided win over national power Highland (IL) 79-57 at the Rawlings JUCO Classic at Meramec, a 79-76 win over #10 MSU-West Plains, and a 68-45 win over #19 Three Rivers at Homecoming. But, the most exciting game to watch may have been a 77-74 win over Meramec in OT, where Kyle Hubbard hit a buzzer-beater three and Ryan Lawrence got a last-second stick-back to win the MCCAC Conference.
The Cardinals used the "team-first" approach with two players averaging double figures, and another five players with seven or more points a game. Mineral Area used an exciting brand of basketball scoring 80.9 points a game (second in Region XVI in scoring) and holding opponents to 70.6.9 points. There is a definate buzz in Cardinal country with the return of seven players, the addition of three players that were with the program, and the signings of the incoming class. Mineral Area College has also put together a schedule that will be ranked as one of the toughest in the nation, starting with Chipola (FL) and having non- Region home dates with Vincennes (IN), Southeastern (IA), Kennedy-King (IL), Simmons (KY), John A. Logan (IL), and Southwestern Illinois. The Cards will also travel to Southwest Tennessee, Lincoln Trail (IL), Kaskaskia (IL), Southwestern Illinois, and a tournament game with defending DIII National Champion North Lake (TX).