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FavoriteThe Kilgore College basketball program is known for sending players to top schools at the Division I level after their time is up at KC. This year, two former Rangers are playing in the NCAA Tournament -- Stefan Moody with the University of Mississippi and Bush Wamukota with Wichita State University. Several other former players have been honored with post-season awards, as well.
Stefan Moody - Ole Miss:
Stefan Moody, a 5'10" guard from Kissimmee, Fla., played at KC during the 2013-14 season his sophomore year and started all 31 games for the Rangers, averaging 17.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists under head coach Brian Hoberecht. That season, he led the Rangers to an impressive 25-6 record.
After KC he signed with the University of Mississippi where he is a starter, averaging 16.6 points and 3.4 rebounds per game for the Rebels. Moody was also named a First Team All-SEC selection this year as a junior in the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
He led Ole Miss in a dramatic come-from-behind victory March 17 over Brigham Young University, scoring 26 points to earn the Rebels a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
Tom Wamukota - Wichita State:
Tom "Bush" Wamukota, a 6'11" center from Bungoma, Kenya, played his sophomore season at KC during the 2013-14 season where he averaged 6.0 points and 6.8 rebounds in 31 games with a team-high 29 blocked shots. He also scored in double-figures seven times for the Rangers and claimed nine double-figure rebound games.
After KC, Wamukota signed with Wichita State University to play for the Shockers. This season at WSU, Wamukota is averaging 6 minutes per game and is shooting 46 percent from the field as a junior.
Wichita State (28-4) is a No. 7 seed in this year's NCAA Tournament.
Other former Rangers in basketball post-season tournaments:
Quinton Upshur - Northern Arizona University: Upshur played his sophomore season at KC during the 2012-13 season after playing his freshman year at Virginia Military Institute. At KC, he was named First Team All-Region and First Team All-Conference and was an All-American nominee. While at Kilgore, helped lead the team to the regular season championship and an automatic bid to the JUCO National Tournament, finishing the season with an overall record of 27-6. This season, Upshur plays for the Northern Arizona University Lumberjacks. This season as a senior, Upshur has started all 33 games and is averaging 14.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. He is also shooting 35 percent from the three-point line (72-of-206). NAU is playing in the 2015 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament. The Lumberjacks and Antelopes will tip off at GCU Arena on Wednesday, March 18, at 6 p.m.
Chinedu Amajoyi - University of Louisiana at Monroe: Amajoyi played two seasons at Kilgore College (2011-13) and led the Rangers to a 27-6 overall record and a conference championship. He also guided Kilgore to the quarterfinals of the 2013 National Junior College Athletic Association National Tournament and started every game. Amajoyi averaged 5.9 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 33 appearances and tallied five double-figure scoring games including a career-high 17 points on two separate occasions. He currently plays for the University of Louisiana at Monroe as a senior. As a junior, he finished top-10 in the league in three-point field goal percentage at .405 (15-37) and started in 11 of ULM’s last 12 games and doubled his scoring average in that span. The ULM Warhawks are playing in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI).
Other former Rangers' honors:
Nardie Bogues - Post University: Bogues played for KC from 2011-13. He is currently a senior for Post University where he has been named Third Team All-Conference for the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC). Bogues averaged 11.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game for the Eagles.
Lonnie McClanahan - The University of Texas at Arlington: McClanahan played for KC during his sophomore season (2012-13) where he helped lead KC to a 26-5 record and the Sweet Sixteen of the NJCAA National Tournament in 2013. He is currently a senior for The University of Texas at Arlington where he has been named All-Sun Belt Conference Second Team for the 2014-15 season. This season for the Mavericks, he averaged 11.6 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.
Eric Diouf: Diouf played at KC during the 2012-13 season where he was named a second team All-Conference player, helping the Rangers earn a berth into the NJCAA National Tournament where KC finished as one of the top-15 teams in the nation. This season, Diof is a sophomore for the Lewis-Clark State College Warriors where he was the leading rebounder for the team (7.6 RPG) and the third-leading scorer (11.6 PPG), helping lead the Warriors to earn a berth in the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship. The Warriorrs finished the season with a 25-8 record.
Jah-Leah Ellis - The College of New Rochelle: Ellis played for the Lady Rangers from 2009-11 under head coach Roy Thomas. The Association of Division III Independents (AD3I) named Ellis as the AD3I Player of the Year and First Team All-Independent for the 2014-15 season. Ellis led the Blue Angels in nearly every category, averaging 20.2 points, 15.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.9 steals per game. The senior tallied a double-double in 20 of her 23 games and pulled down 20 or more rebounds six times.
