HUTCHINSON, KAN. Four games.
Four days.
That is the challenge facing the Odessa College men’s basketball team as it chases program immortality.
The Wranglers have never won a NJCAA Men’s Division I National Championship.
Not even with future NBA star Larry Johnson on the 1987-88 and 1988-89 teams that advanced to the national tournament.
Their best chance, however, could be at hand.
Ranked in the top six in the nation all season, with a high of No. 2, Odessa College is the third seed in this year’s championship after fashioning a 29-3 record during its run to a third consecutive Western Junior College Athletic Conference crown.
The Wranglers have advanced to Hutchinson Arena for seven straight seasons, reaching the Elite Eight in 2019 and 2022 under head coach Kris Baumann.
Baumann has been bullish on this year’s squad from the opening day of practice, knowing the skill sets of the returning sophomores would allow the first-year players a chance to get their feet wet while learning how to compete against some of the best schools in the nation during early-season tournaments across the country.
The Wranglers start their quest against Southeastern Community College, the No. 14 seed from Burlington, Iowa, at 6 p.m. Wednesday inside Hutchinson Arena.
The Blackhawks (26-8) advanced with a 75-49 victory against Snead State Community College on Tuesday, taking advantage of an opponent that shot just 28.1 percent from the field.
It will be a much different contest against the Wranglers, who want to run the floor offensively and get in opponent’s faces on defense.
They averaged 83.2 points per game, while surrendering just 64.9.
Odessa College averages 8.4 three-pointers, 39.5 rebounds and 9.9 steals per contest, as well.
More important is Baumann’s confidence in his players, his substitutions more akin to line changes in hockey as players are on and off the court with each whistle.
He uses all 14 players on the bench and has had games where all 14 have scored.
That allows the Wranglers to wear down their opponents, the lineup changes presenting matchup problems from the opening tip.
And, in the end, it’s that depth that could prove to be the deciding factor in Odessa College’s drive toward history.
>> Follow Lee Scheide on Twitter at @OALeeScheide
