| 02-03 KCAC Honors
Romero tops McPherson’s 2003 All-KCAC basketball picks
Kenny Romero, McPherson College junior forward, was named to the 2002 All-KCAC (Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference) men’s basketball first team in a vote by the conference’s coaches. The first team was introduced at Monday’s championship game of the KCAC men’s post-season tournament in Newton. Joining Romero in receiving men’s all-conference honors were Roy McDonald and Jamaal Norris.
A graduate of Pueblo East High School in Pueblo, Colo., the 6’5”, 205-pound, Romero finished the regular season ranked fourth in the KCAC in individual rebounding with an 8.11 rebounds per game average. After enduring a injury to his shooting hand the first eleven games of the season during which he averaged 10.1 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, he averaged 15.3 points and 8.4 rebounds a game for the final 18 games of the season, ending the season with an average of 13.9 points per game. He finished the season hitting 53.0% of his total field goals attempts, a figure that ranked 8th in the KCAC. Romero’s top offensive performance of the season came in Salina on January 16 when he stung the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes for career highs, 34 points and 23 rebounds. He was twice named KCAC men’s “Player of the Week” during the 2002-2003 season. He was the Bulldogs leading rebounder nineteen times this past season, leading scorer nine times, and he posted eight double-doubles. Named the KCAC “Freshman of the Year” in 2001, Romero will enter his senior season with 662 career rebounds, only 60 caroms short of the McPherson College school record for career rebounds. Romero finished his junior year as the fifth leading all-time scorer in McPherson College history with 1376 points, and with an eye on the school record of 1782 points. “Teams knew that Kenny was our only consistent inside force, so a lot of teams doubled down on him, and made he earn each and every point and rebound he got,” said McPherson head coach Roger Trimmell. “We’re looking forward to him having a great senior campaign.”
Roy McDonald, 5’9”, sophomore point guard from Houston, Texas, was named to the 2003 All-KCAC honorable mention men’s basketball team. A graduate of Elsik High School in Houston, McDonald ranked third among the KCAC’s regular season top-ten in assists, averaging 4.82 per game. The Bulldogs leading scorer three times this past season, he posted a season high, 20-points in the Bulldogs 81-73 win over Southwestern on February 6. For the season, he averaged 10.7 points per game. McDonald season rebounding high came when he tied Romero for team rebounding honors at Ottawa as they both cleaned the backboards seven times. McDonald finished the season grabbing 3.6 rebounds to rank fourth among the Bulldogs, and averaged 2.9 turnovers per game, despite the fact almost ever play the Bulldogs ran, went through him. “When Roy concentrated on being our floor leader, and getting the ball to our other players in a position to score, we could be a very good team,” said Trimmell. “Roy hit some big shots that carried us at times during the season, but his leadership, both offensively and defensively, were still his biggest contribution to our team.”
Jamaal Norris, 6’2”, freshman guard from Hutchinson, Kans., was named to the 2003 KCAC men’s All-Freshman team. Norris led McPherson in scoring with a season average of 14.9 points per game, which ranked ninth in the conference. He led the Bulldogs in scoring 12 times, and in rebounding four. Norris’ season high performances were 28 points against Oklahoma Wesleyan University and 11 rebounds at Tabor. He led the Bulldogs with nine 20-point performances. “Jamaal needs to improve his physical strength,” said Trimmell. “The competition in the KCAC is much more physical than what he saw in high school. Jamaal has a big up-side though if he gets stronger and develops a more consistent outside shot.”
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