MCC Basketball begins season Friday at home

A new era of McCook Community College Men’s Basketball tips off Friday at the Peter and Dolores Graff Events Center under new Head Coach Taylor Shaffer.

 

The Indians will face Colby Friday at 6 p.m. then come back Saturday at 1 p.m. as the front half of a men’s/women’s home doubleheader. The MCC women will follow at 3 p.m. Saturday against Frank Phillips College (Borger, Texas).

“We’re excited to start the season off at home with two Jayhawk schools in Colby and Fort Hays Tech Northwest,” said Shaffer.

 

The coach spent the last four years as the head coach in the Jayhawk Conference at Neosho County Community College in Chanute, Kan. Before that, he was an assistant coach at the NCAA level, spending a year at Adams State University and two years at Chadron State College. Before moving to the NCAA level, Shaffer spent two years as the head women's basketball coach at Otero Junior College and was named 2017 Region IX South Coach of the Year Award.0

Shaffer’s introduction to MCC came was an “unfriendly one” when he came to True Hall as an opposing player for Otero and later coached the women’s team. He said they hated coming to McCook because of how loud and intimidating the crowd was – particularly the student section in True Hall. He’d love to bring back that passion every game at the Peter and Dolores Graff Events Center, starting this weekend.

The 2026-27 version of the Indians has just three players returning from last year’s squad, but seven sophomore transfers provide some instant experience.

 

MCC has just two players who saw the court in a McCook uniform last season, and those two only started three total games. On the stat sheet MCC returns just 8.7 points per game and 2.6 rebounds. However, Shaffer brings in seven transfers who averaged a collective 50.2 points and 23.7 rebounds last year with their schools.

“Overall, it’s a good group of guys that I think are going to play hard and play together and put a product on the floor that McCook can be proud of,” said Shaffer.

THE STARTERS: Isayah Pankey, 6-3 redshirt sophomore point guard, 6-3, (Dallas, Texas) brings the most experience from last year’s squad. He appeared in 30 games, and averaged 5.1 points per game, 2.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists. He shot 44.2 percent from the field and 39.7 from the 3-point line. He is expected to lead from the point-guard spot this year.

“He’s been really good for us this fall and does a good job of getting his teammates open and making the right play,” said Shaffer.

Redshirt sophomore Justin Rushin, 6-2, (Charlotte, N.C.) is a combo guard who transfers in from Georgia Highlands. He averaged 9.5 points and 3.6 rebounds over 31 games for the D1 JUCO school and ranked second on the team in assists (2.7 and steals (1.4). He shot 43.9 percent from the field and looks to start the season as one of the starting guards.

 

“He scored well at his last school and coming in has been our most consistent player both offensively and defensively,” said Shaffer.

Adrijus Janciauskas is a 6-2 sophomore combo guard (Marijampole, Lithuania) who transfers in from West Virginia Wesleyan College (NJCAA-D2) and is expected to start the year at wing and will play multiple positions.

As a freshman he averaged 8.4 points in 30 games, but when elevated to starting point guard, he averaged 11.0 ppg, 3.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.1 steals. He shot 47.7 percent from the field and 37.5 from the 3-point line.

“He played well at his last school and gives us a big strong body, shoots it really well from the perimeter and does a good job of everything we ask him to do,” said Shaffer. “He’ll also see some time at point guard.”

Also vying for time in the point-guard spot is sophomore transfer Shane Threadgill, 6-0, from Idabel, Okla. He transfers from Baker University in Kansas (NAIA). Last year appeared in 15 games and averaged 4.1 ppg, 1.4 rebounds and shot 36.4 percent from the field and 32.4 from the 3-point line.  

“Shane’s probably our most dynamic offensive player,” said Shaffer. “He’s an offensive specialist and can fill it up in a hurry and he’s starting to figure out the rest of it. When doesn’t start at one spot, he’ll definitely see time at one of the guard spots.”

Josue Kangudi, 6-6 sophomore, (Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo) has emerged as the front-runner to fill the small forward spot. He transfers from Navarro College, Corsicana, Texas, an NJCAA-D1 school where he saw limited bench time and scored 29 points with 31 rebounds in 18 games.

“He’s been our best offensive player to this point of the fall,” said Shaffer. “As a 6-6 athlete, he’s going to be the best athlete in every gym that we step in to. And he plays with an extremely high motor and he plays hard. People can’t keep him out of the paint or off the glass.”

Tymere Singleton, 6-6 sophomore forward from Dallas, will start the season at the post position. The JUCO transfer from Northern Oklahoma Enid, played in 14 games for the Jets and scored 30 points with 39 rebounds in the 14 games he played.

“He’s a big, strong bruiser. He loves contact. He likes to go down low in the paint and he’s really good at just making the right play when we get the ball,” said Shaffer.

OFF THE BENCH: A couple freshmen are expected to see time at the wing position are Leo Coulibaly, 6-4, (Toulouse, France) and Jack Fitzpatrick, 6-5 (Hudson, N.J.).

“Leo has really come along in these weeks leading up the regular season,” said Shaffer. “He’s an international kid who took some time figuring out American basketball, but he’s grown by leaps and bounds and is a high I.Q player who has really played well lately.”

 

“He’s more athletic than he looks and his greatest strength is his ability to pass the ball,” said Shaffer. “He’s pretty much a 6-7 point-guard who is really good at getting downhill and making plays for his teammates.”

 

Christou will get some opportunities at the post position.

 

Cooper Weeks, 6-6 sophomore forward from Lufkin, Texas came with Shaffer from Neosho. He played in 21 games and started 18. He averaged 11.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. He scored a season-high 24 points against Southwestern CC in a Nov. 15 game and brought down a career-high 11 boards in January against Ottawa.

 

“He’s our best leader. He does everything right, plays extremely hard and is dynamic offensively,” said Shaffer. “He’s done a good job in helping guys understand what our standards and expectations are.”

 

Darren Izekor, 6-8 freshman center (Kennegad, Ireland), has been slowed but injuries this fall but could push for playing time in the middle.

 

“With injuries, he could see some minutes in the post,” said Shaffer. “He’s a big, strong body who plays extremely hard.”

 

Two returning players from MCC are sophomore wing Owen Stack, 6-3 (Melbourne, Australia) and redshirt freshman Jack Painter, 6-5 wing, 6-5 (Melbourne, Australia).

 

Stack played in 11 games and averaged 3.6 points per game. He shot 48.1 percent from the floor and hit triples at a 42.9 percent clip. Painter sat out his freshman year as a redshirt.

 

“Owen can really shoot the ball and Jack has come a long ways in his shooting ability and they both play really hard,” said Shaffer.

 

Other incoming players for this year’s squad include Lachlan Shields, 6-2 freshman point guard (Melbourne, Australia); Sotirios Platanias, 6-7 freshman forward (Larissa, Greece); and Lenny Smith, 6-6 redshirt sophomore wing (Washington, D.C.).

 

“Lachlan shows up every day and competes, handles the ball well and can create for his teammates, and Sotirios is a great teammate who continues to improve,” said Shaffer.

 

Smith a top-30 scorer out of Hillcrest Prep in Maryland originally committed to Utah State University Eastern, where he didn’t play in the 2024-25 season. He transferred to NJCAA-D2 Garrett College (McHenry, Maryland) for the 2025-2026 season, and averaged 13.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and shot 48.9 percent from the field.

 

“He can fill up the stat sheet, but has been slowed a little this fall by an injury,” said Shaffer. “He has a ways to go on the defensive side, but if all goes well he could be a really good player for us.”

THE SCHEDULE: While Shaffer said it’s difficult to gage what the Region is going to look like when conference play starts in January, he has been impressed by what he has seen with Lamar Community College, a team that returns a vast majority of their 2025-26 squad that went 11-4 in the south conference and lost to Trinidad State in the finals of the Region IX championship.

After the home-opening weekend with Colby and Fort Hays Tech, the Indians play road games at Cheyenne, Wyo. Nov. 3 against Laramie County CC, at Torrington, Wyo. Nov.7 against Eastern Wyoming, and at Colby Nov. 10, before traveling to Twin Falls, Idaho and games Nov. 12-14.

“That is going to be a tough week, playing in Colby on a Tuesday night then wake up early and travel 13 hours to Twin Falls, Idaho for three games back-to-back-to-back,” said Shaffer.

MCC will open the College of Southern Idaho’s Battle for the Boot tournament against No. 22 North Idaho College. This will be a true tournament format. No. 4. College of Southern Idaho will open that tournament against Western Nebraska. That side of the bracket also includes a first-round game between Clarendon College and Casper College. The MCC/Northern Idaho winner would play the winner of No. 21 Eastern Florida State and Western Wyoming.

“Playing four road games in five days is going to be a challenge but it will be really good for us to see some of the best teams in the country and it will be a good bonding experience,” said Shaffer

 

The Indians return home for a Nov. 17 game against former Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference foe Central Community College. That weekend the Indians travel to West Plains, Missouri to play two games in the West Plains Black Out. MCC will play the host school Nov. 20 where former Dillon Hargrove is leading the program after two years as MCC’s Coach. The Tribe will play Connors State in the Saturday game before returning home for the final game of the month, Nov. 24 against Laramie County Community College.

 

There are just three games on the slate for December, starting with a home game Dec. 5 against Eastern Wyoming and games Dec 11-12 at Ottumwa, Iowa for the Indians Hills Community College Classic. MCC opens against Marshalltown Community College and close out the fall schedule against No. 8 Indians Hills.

REGION IX SOUTH PLAY: Following the holiday break, all 14 remaining games will be conference games starting with a Jan. 8-9 Colorado road trip to Trinidad State and Otero before hosting Lamar on a Wednesday night game Jan. 13 (7:30 p.m.). MCC’s other January home conference game will be Jan. 23 against Northeastern Junior College (3 p.m.).

 

In February, the Tribe will host Southeast Community College Feb. 6, Trinidad State Feb. 12, Otero Feb. 13, Western Nebraska Feb. 17 and North Platte Feb. 24.

 

Up-to-date information about MCC basketball including up-to-date schedule and changes, livestream links for home games, rosters, photos, statistics and more can be found on the MCC Athletics website, www.mccindians.com