After 33 games, months of practice, and hours on the court, four John Brown University basketball seniors earned a selection to their respective All-Conference team.
The conference team honored Jake Caudle, Baily Cameron, Josh Bowling and Karina Chandra for their hard work and refined basketball skills on Thursday, Feb. 28, when the Sooner Athletic Conference Office announced the players selected.
Caudle and Cameron received first-team honors, Bowling second-team and Chandra honorable mention. This is the fourth year in a row for Cameron to receive first-team selection—making her the first Golden Eagle to finish with this high of honors all four years of her career. Additionally, this is Caudle’s second year in a row to earn first team honors.
“I couldn’t be more proud of Jake for earning this honor,” head coach Jason Beschta said, according to JBU athletics. “Especially in a year that’s been difficult at times because of injuries, Jake has continued to persevere and give everything he has for his team. This honor is the direct result of the countless hours of hard work he has put in over the years and is also a true testament to what the other coaches in the league see in him, recognizing what an important piece he to our program and the role he plays in our team’s success.”
Not only did the players exhibit hard work throughout the season, but they also played with a positive attitude. Both Caudle and Cameron received the league’s Sportsmanship Award and Beschta said this award speaks volumes about character and work ethic.
“There are many players in our league who are highly competitive. But showing sportsmanship is a difficult practice of being a fierce competitor and the balance of being a great teammate and demonstrating respect for your opponents, and Jake has set a new standard for the conference in this regard,” Beschta told JBU Athletics.
All four players contributed frequently to their team’s score as Chandra and Cameron were the only women to average double-digit points per game, and Chandra’s 12.7 points-per-game average during conference play placed her 17th overall among SAC scorers.
Women’s Head Coach Jeff Soderquist told JBU athletics he’s thrilled for Chandra to have this honor, as “It’s never easy transferring into a new program and we’re going to miss Karina moving forward.”
For the men’s team, Bowling and Caudle took turns guiding the Eagles as leading scorers throughout this season, according to JBU athletics. During this season, Bowling and Caudle combined for nearly 40 percent of the squad’s total offensive output and one or the other has led the team in scoring in 23 of the 30 JBU regular season contests.
The Lady Golden Eagles finished their regular season with a 17-13 overall record and placed sixth in the SAC; however, their postseason play ended with a loss in the SAC tournament Quarterfinals.
The men’s basketball team finished their season with a 21-9 overall record and finished second in the SAC. During the postseason tournament, they got second place in the division and will continue their season at the National Tournament in Kansas City from March 20-26. The team will know more about the tournament on Wednesday, March 13, as the NAIA’s Selection Show is scheduled for 5 p.m. and the public is invited to join the team in the Walker Student Center to watch.
According to JBU Athletics the Selection Show will review the 15 automatic qualifiers and award 17 more at-large berths, then announce the entire 32-team field that will include seedings and tip-off times for the Round of 32. Admission is free to the selection show watch party.