MNU All-Decade Team: Men's Basketball

All-Decade: Volleyball, Women's Soccer, Football, Men's Soccer, Women's Basketball, Softball, Baseball

The 2010s were a great decade for MNU Athletics. Every program qualified for the national tournament at least twice, Cross Country and Track & Field made their returns and had great success, 2 teams played for the National Championship, and Women's Basketball won it all in 2016. With all the great athletes to come through Olathe in the last 10 years, it's difficult to nail down All-Decade teams. But I'm going to give it a shot. Your Sports Information Director, Chad Jenkins, along with a handful of coaches and fans, will publish an All-Decade team for our team sports starting with the Spring of 2010.

The Process
There's no one way to do this, but here's how I'm going to do it:
- One player from a specific season will represent one starting position on the court/field. One great season by one player usually trumps a solid career from another.
- Academics, behavior, and likability are not going to be considered. I can't know enough about the personal lives of these athletes to make that judgment. I'm putting together the best players at each position, period.
- I've asked for input from some coaches and fans, but ultimately the final decision is mine. So direct your hateful e-mails to yours truly.
- For Men's Basketball, we are using 6 positions: Point Guard, Shooting Guard, Small Forward, Power Forward, Center, and 6th Man. Since basketball seasons are split between years, I'm going with the second half of the season as the main year. So the 09-10 season is the start of the decade and 18-19 is the end.

Why Are We Doing This?
Because it's fun. If you or your relative or buddy didn't make the squad, it's not personal.

Who Are You to Make These Decisions?
A fair question. I'm the guy who has watched pretty much every home event in every sport since the Fall of 2007, and I'm in control of the athletics website.

Enough! Just Get Started!
Agreed. Here we go...

Point Guard
MNU has had several great guards in its history, but only 2 All-Conference point guards this decade. Rustin Dowd played the point as a sophomore in 2011 and earned a 1st team selection, but his Hall of Fame career was defined as a Shooting Guard. So there's really only 1 option for the MNU Men's Basketball All-Decade Point Guard, and that is Nick Syrie in either 2014 or 2016. Pronounced sir-EYE, his game was defined by the assist early on, then he grew into a scorer later in his career. He led the nation in total assists and assists per game in both 2014 and 2016 (he missed 2015 with injury), was part of 2 conference titles, and took his teams to three Elite 8s and two Fab 4s in his career ("Final Four" is copyrighted by the NCAA, so the NAIA goes with Fab). He set the single-game MNU assist record with 20 in 2014, and averaged 7.5 assists per game for his career. His assist numbers were highest in 2014, but his other numbers were better in 2016. Frankly, he's competing against himself for this spot, and I'm going with 2016 - the year his game was complete. He was named 1st team All-Conference, 3rd team All-America, and the team reached the Fab 4. He recorded a triple double in the season's first game and continued to dominate the action throughout the season. He averaged career highs in points (13.2), rebounds (4.9), and steals (1.9) while leading the nation with 7.8 assists per game. A no-brainer selection at the Point, Syrie leads the All-Decade Team.

Shooting Guard
MNU Hall of Famer Rustin Dowd's 2012 season easily takes the MNU All-Decade Shooting Guard spot. A fearless competitor and tireless worker, he's among the best pure shooters in MNU history (2000+ points, 39.8% 3fg career). In 2012 Dowd earned 1st team All-Conference, Conference Player of the Year, and 3rd team NAIA All-America while leading the team to a conference championship and an appearance at Nationals. He averaged 17.0 points per game while shooting 44.6% from beyond the arc. His senior season was probably slightly better (shooting% up, turnovers down) and the team reached the Elite 8, but a Conference Player of the Year honor takes this spot for the All-Decade team.

Small Forward
The selections get a little trickier as the options grow at the forward position. The small forward (or "3", or wing, or slasher) is generally reserved for the most versatile player on the floor. Sometimes they're listed as Guards, so this spot is a little murky. My options - in order by year - are Brenton Bell in 2010, Jacob French in 2013, Conner Langrehr in 2014, Nate Launius in 2015, and Jonathan Green in 2019. See the murkiness? One could make a starting 5 with the versatility in this group. (just for fun: Bell at the 1, Langrehr at the 2, Green at the 3, Launius at the 4, French at the 5...or Launius at the 1 and bump everyone else down a spot)
- Green was the primary scorer in 2019 and played like a runaway train. A relentless attacker, he was named Conference & National Player of the Week once, 1st team All-Conference, and Honorable Mention All-America as he averaged 19.9 points per game.
- Launius took over a depleted 2015 team and played more of a Point Forward spot as a senior. His smarts and versatility were clear as he averaged 18.0 points and 3.4 assists while being named 2nd team All-Conference and Honorable Mention All-America.
- Langrehr's career was all over the place as a starter and reserve throughout the years, but his numbers were always good and he put up 1888 points as a fearless shooter and great finisher. As a senior in 2014, he averaged 16.4 points for a Fab 4 squad.
- French was probably the most skilled athlete in this group. And who can forget his thunderous handful of dunks at Nationals in MNU's run to the Elite 8? His 32-point effort in his final game stands out among MNU's best at Nationals, and he was a 2-time All-Conference honoree in his career. "Hampered" by a balanced and loaded team, his numbers aren't as eye-popping as some others, but he averaged 13.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks as a senior.
- Hall of Famer Bell was the last holdover from MNU's National Championship squad of 2007, and his senior season in 2010 was special. As the leader of a program in transition, he had to do it all for the Pioneers. As a hybrid Point Forward/Shooting Guard, he averaged 21.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.0 steals, and 0.7 blocks while guarding the opponents' best players as he earned 3 Conference Player of the Week nods, 1st team All-Conference, Conference Player of the Year, and 2nd team NAIA All-America. My choice for All-Decade Small Forward is Brenton Bell in 2010.

Power Forward
The Power Forward spot is almost as murky as small forward. Since no one has wanted to be listed as a Center in like 20 years, and the game has evolved away from the hulking presence in the lane, any "big" could be classified as a Power Forward; even if they're a classic Center. For this spot, I'm using the traditional definition of a power forward, and our options are really down to 2 players: Luke Thomas in 2014 and Justin Randall in 2017.
- Randall averaged 15.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks and was named 1st team All-Conference, Conference Defensive Player of the Year, and 3rd team NAIA All-America, but...
- Luke Thomas' senior season was undeniable as the best of the decade at the position. He averaged 20.3 points and led the nation with 13.5 rebounds per game on a team which reached the Fab 4. He was named 1st team All-Conference and 3rd team NAIA All-America. Obviously a dominant rebounder, he shot 55% from the floor while being athletic enough to run the floor and drive the lane. The matchup nightmare is the All-Decade Power Forward.

Center
The Center position has changed the most in the last several years, but there are still some true centers left. One could even argue that Thomas and Randall were stretch 5s, but the same argument could be made about them being big 3s. The fluidity of the positions is strong these days, but I'm going with a true center for the All-Decade Team, and the 2019 season of Dakota Quinn was crazy. He shot 53% and averaged 13.6 points with 9.7 rebounds, but those aren't the numbers that earned him a spot on this list. He led not only the NAIA, but every level of collegiate and pro basketball with a ridiculous 5.3 blocked shots per game. He had 3 games with at least 10 blocks, including a triple double effort of 22 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 blocks in a 3-point victory. A fierce competitor with impeccable timing, he single-handedly changed the game with his presence in the lane. He was named Conference Player of the Week 3 times, National Player of the Week once, 1st team All-Conference, Conference Defensive Player of the Year, and Honorable Mention NAIA All-America.

6th Man
The 6th man spot isn't just a cheat to get one more guy on the All-Decade team, but the honor won't go to an actual 6th man. The players mentioned above but not yet chosen are the nominees for this final spot, and as I write this I'm still not sure what my answer is. I'll let you in on my thinking as it happens. Our options are: Conner Langrehr, Jacob French, Nate Launius, Justin Randall, and Jonathan Green. Let me preface this section by saying that I loved watching all these guys and my criticisms are minor.
- Langrehr: great scorer, fearless shooter, but maybe too one-dimensional
- French: fantastic athlete, big-game player, but the raw numbers aren't quite there...this is a painful snub
- Launius: great all-around numbers, versatile, but the team was down
- Randall: great player on both sides of the ball, no complaints, who doesn't love Justin Randall?
- Green: great scorer, relentless attacker, but the team was just above average

Your MNU Men's Basketball All-Decade Team:
Point Guard: Nick Syrie 2016
Shooting Guard: Rustin Dowd 2012
Small Forward: Brenton Bell 2010
Power Forward: Luke Thomas 2014
Center: Dakota Quinn 2019
6th Man: Justin Randall 2017