Week 1 Standouts
Some of the many standout performances from the opening week of the JUCO season.
The season is barely underway, and the box scores are already filling. Here is a sample of what caught our eye around the country, not a ranking and nowhere close to a complete list.
Sebi Boyogueno, Vincennes University, 6'3, G
38 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl | 14-24 FG, 8-14 3PT | W 102-73 vs. Truman (10/30)
Boyogueno wasted no time introducing himself to the JUCO world. In his true freshman debut, Sebi poured in 38 PTS with 8 threes, playing 37 minutes and taking over the game for a Vincennes team with real postseason expectations. He’s stayed near the top of the national scoring list since, and right now nobody in D1 JUCO is on a hotter start.
David Dongrin, Murray State College, 6'3, G
35 pts, 10 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl, 3 blk | 12-20 FG, 11-16 3PT | L 89-88 vs. Grayson (11/6)
Despite the loss, Dongrin caught fire against Grayson and carried Murray State to the final possession of a one-point game, hitting 11 of 16 from deep. What stands out beyond the shooting is everything else he did: 10 rebounds and 3 blocks from a 6'3 freshman show a guy who impacts winning outside of scoring as well.
Kelan Rich, Pearl River CC, 6'5, G
44 pts, 8 reb, 6 ast, 3 stl, 2 blk | 17-19 FG, 10-10 3PT | W 165-52 vs. Community Christian (11/2)
Pearl River was expected to win this one, but shooting 10-for-10 from three in any setting is more than impressive. Rich was simply automatic, going 17 for 19 from the field in just 19 minutes of action. Pearl River’s sophomore guard demonstrated elite shot-making and did so in less than half of a full game.
Alek Bihler, Richard Bland College, 6'9, G/F
13 pts, 16 reb, 10 ast | 4-8 FG, 1-2 3PT | W 74-70 vs. Forsyth Tech (11/3)
Bihler had a strong summer and fall on the event circuit, and he picked up right where he left off. The skilled Serbian guard/forward has already shown how unique and versatile his game is at 6'9. He took this one over without needing a big scoring night, cleaning the glass for 16 rebounds and setting up teammates 10 times. Passing feel like that at his size is rare, and Richard Bland runs a lot of its offense through him because of it.
Anthony Vaughns, Three Rivers College, 6'6, G
31 pts, 9 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl | 14-20 FG, 2-4 3PT | W 83-77 vs. Olive-Harvey (11/7)
In a game that stayed tight the whole way, Vaughns was the guy Three Rivers leaned on. The freshman wing scored at all three levels on 14 of 20 shooting and added 9 rebounds against a physical Olive-Harvey group. Big-time production from a first-year player in a big-time spot.
Anthony Ferrer, Miami Dade College, 6'2, G
33 pts, 4 reb | 11-17 FG, 8-14 3PT, 3-3 FT, 0 TO | W 81-62 vs. Pensacola State (10/31)
Ferrer was one of JUCO’s most talked-about transfers this past offseason, and he wasted no time showing his new team his value. The sophomore buried 8 threes on his way to 33 PTS, and he did it without turning the ball over once. Pensacola State is one of Florida’s premier JUCO programs, but Ferrer’s firebombing led the Sharks to a more-than-convincing W. Miami Dade looks like a real problem in the Citrus Conference this year with Ferrer shooting it like this.
Joustin Reyes, Midland College, 6'8, G/F
25 pts, 11 reb, 2 ast | 8-10 FG, 4-5 3PT, 5-6 FT | W 76-59 vs. Weatherford (11/7)
Reyes’ development this summer has been as evident as any, and he put up an elite performance against a Weatherford team with a lot of size and skill. Reyes missed just two shots all night, knocked down 4 of 5 from downtown and crashed the glass for 11 rebounds. Midland has a lot of firepower, but Reyes might be the piece that makes it all click, leading the charge in a quality win and a strong start to the season.
Nate Wilder, State Fair CC, 6'3, PG
32 pts, 6 reb, 14 ast, 5 stl | 8-11 FG, 15-18 FT | W 77-56 vs. Southeast CC (10/31)
The sophomore floor general put on a point guard clinic in a big W. He did it all: efficient shooting from the field, physical driving and getting to the FT line with 18 attempts, and directing the offense with an impressive 14 assists. Pair that with 5 steals, and you have one of the most complete outings anyone has had this season. State Fair is 5-0 to start the season, and Wilder is no doubt a big part of that.
Aari Annus, Indian River State College, 6'10, F
12 pts, 20 reb, 6 ast, 1 stl, 3 blk | 4-8 FG, 2-2 3PT | W 98-61 vs. Gordon State (11/6)
Annus only took eight shots, but he filled up every other column on the sheet. The 6'10 freshman cleaned the glass for 20 rebounds and protected the rim with 3 blocks, all while handing out 6 assists as a connector out of the high post. Indian River’s perimeter shooting prowess will benefit greatly from Annus’ post passing over the course of the season.
Clash Peters, Gaston College, 6'9, F
22 pts, 25 reb, 3 blk | 9-10 FG, 4-5 FT | W 85-72 vs. Patrick & Henry (11/7)
As tenacious a rebounder as any, Peters did not wait to get his standout sophomore season going. 22 PTS on near-perfect efficiency is impressive by itself, but the relentless motor of Peters led to a 25-rebound performance, one of the largest in D1 JUCO this season. A dominant performance in a convincing win for a Gaston team that has already proven itself worthy of an early-season rankings bump.
Wesley Lindsey, Jones College, 6'6, F
28 pts, 10 reb, 2 ast, 5 stl | 7-16 FG, 3-6 3PT, 11-14 FT | W 69-59 vs. Marion Military (11/3)
Lindsey did a little bit of everything in a quality win against a reliable opponent in MMI. A good shooter and a relentless downhill driver, Lindsey got to the FT line at will and was very efficient from downtown. An uber-talented Jones squad needed a scoring boost to start the season, and Lindsey provided it.
