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Kessinger: GCCC hoops in good hands
Published 12/8/2009 in Sports
When Kris Baumann and Alaura Sharp speak of their Garden City Community College men's and women's basketball teams neither one of them sugar coat anything.
It's always a straight forward 'we didn't do this,' or 'we didn't do that.' When they do have something positive to say about one of the individuals they do, and often times there are plenty of good things to point out. But when it comes down to telling it how it is, neither one are afraid to share it.
Both of them have been through plenty this year. Baumann is coming off a season in which the Broncbuster men played in the NJCAA national tournament and finished sixth. Through 13 games this season, Baumann has prodded his team, pushing them day in and day out. The men's team is 8-5 and Baumann insists this team can't understand the sense or urgency they need to be playing with. After the Busters tight 63-61 loss at Butler on Saturday he was a little infuriated with their lack of urgency in every possession. Maybe not every coach would care to take notice of every possession, let a few slip here and there, and focus on some of the positives, but Baumann refuses to. He was the same way last season, and well, the end result speaks for itself.
Sharp, on the other hand, is in a somewhat different situation. She is in her first year working with a program that has struggled since the Lady Broncbusters placed third at the national tournament in 2003. The first-year coach who began a rebuilding process at Lamar (Colo.) Junior College last year has led the GCCC women's team to a 5-6 mark this season. Through the first month the Lady Busters have shown progress, coming within three points Nov. 27 of knocking off the No. 10-ranked team in the nation -- Western Nebraska. On Saturday, the Lady Busters went into the Power Plant at Butler and simply dominated the Grizzlies by 23. Not too shabby of a win to pick up on opening night of Jayhawk Conference play, and against a team picked ahead of them in the preseason predictions.
Where as Baumann and Sharp may not be the most polite coach in speaking of their team deficiencies, they're doing it to build a pair of programs that aren't just going to be competitive every game night, but to have them in a position at the end of the season to make a run into the Region 6 tournament. They're doing it because tomorrow night at Perryman Athletic Complex the two will be taking on a pair of one-loss, nationally-ranked teams from Hutchinson.
Win and the teams have plenty of confidence going into Christmas break, and maybe then the players will understand a little more why these two and their staffs have pushed them harder every day.
Both of them still have quite a challenge ahead, but neither took the job believing it would be a cakewalk. Last year was proof of what Baumann's tough love, no excuse policy can do. And it wouldn't be that much of a surprise some where down the road to see it work for Sharp as well.
Assistant sports editor Mike Kessinger can be reached at mkessinger@gctelegram.com.
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