Steve Eck

18 FEBRUARY SPORTS

A NEW CRUSADE BEGINS UNDER ECK

by GABRIEL BREITENBACH, staff writer

On April 13th, 2021, Kapaun Mt. Carmel announced a coaching hire that sent shock waves through the Kansas high school basketball scene. After 25 years of coaching at the junior college level, Steve Eck was set to make his return to the GWAL as KMC’s new head coach. With immense success on both the high school and collegiate level, the hiring of Eck promises to lift the Crusaders to heights they have not seen since 2012.

The two time national champion started his career at Wichita South in 1986 and by the time he stepped down as head coach, Eck and the titans had claimed 10 consecutive city league championships and six state championships (Division 6A). After his high school tenure, Eck would move on to pursue a career coaching at the junior college level. He would make four appearances in the NJCAA national championship game and would bring home two titles. First with Redland Community College in 2001 and again in 2017 with Hutchinson Community College. Eck’s career with Hutchinson was one with unparalleled success as he would retire as the Blue Dragon’s winningest head coach with a cumulative record of 326-76. He would receive the honors of being named junior college head coach of the year in 2016. Eck would also coach two time NJCAA All-American Kadeem Allen who would go on to be drafted by the Boston Celtics and is currently playing in the Israeli Basketball Premier League. After retiring from the junior college level, Eck made the decision to return to the GWAL and coach a promising Crusader team who were in the presence of a championship just two years prior. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the 2019 Crusader boys basketball team was forced to cut their season short after fighting all the way to the final four of the KSHAA State playoffs. The Crusaders looked to have even more promise going into the 2020-2021 season; however, a the abrupt resignation of head coach John Cherne had the program scrambling for a coaching staff. Still, the Crusaders were able to overcome some early woes and finish the season with a record of 15-6. The boys team would inevitably lose to Andover High with a final score of 74-62 to end the season.

Not long after, Kapaun would begin searching for a new head coach; however the search would be short lived, as KMC had found their guy. Coach Eck was at the top of the list for several schools looking for a coach, but Eck was confident in coming to KMC.

“Kapaun’s been doing well the last eight, nine years, the main thing I wanted to do was get the culture to where everyone is playing together as a team, good chemistry, and to get the most out of everybody,” said Eck.

Entering the 2021-2022 season, Eck and the Crusaders looked to have a roster that could contend for a state title. The team started out the season swinging in coach Eck’s new system, and after a close loss opening night to reigning 5A state champions Maize. Since their loss, KMC have won 12 straight wins and have solidified themselves as the number one team in the GWAL, winning by an average margin of 22.2 points. The Crusader defense has also been lethal as they’ve only allowed their opponents to reach the 50 point threshold once. Much of this success can be attributed to the implementation of Steve Eck’s new system. “The main thing is we want a balanced offense,” said Eck, “I don’t want one guy to score 25 points and everybody else score four, that doesn’t do it.” Just as Eck states, his new system is one based around the selflessness of the players who run it. Instead of relying on one or two players to score the majority of the team’s points, Eck’s system places a heavy emphasis on moving the ball around as much as possible to space the floor and collapse the defense. And so far this season the team has been able to run this system flawlessly. They have created open shots for the Crusader guards, as well as spacing the floor and allowing the lane to open up for interior penetration.

Career at a Glance On the other end of the court, Eck’s new defense has locked up

Wichita South 1986-96 10 GWAL Championships every team they have played so far this season. As the Crusaders have had numerous games where they have forced 20 or more turnovers and 6 State Championships Overall have been able to force scoring Record: 227-15 droughts that lead to insur-

Butler County 1996-99 mountable leads. The movement Overall Record: 80-22 of the off-ball defenders has been an aspect of the defense

Redlands 2001-2007 that has stumped many of their 2001 National Champion Overall opponents; however, this type Record: 182-22 of defense requires total effort to be given by each and Cowley 2007-2009 every Overall Record: 60-8

Hutchinson 2009- 2021 2017 National Champion Overall Record: 309-70

Total 29 seasons 631-120 player out on the court. “The guys play hard … It’s all about chemistry and playing hard on defense and wanting to buy in and play hard on defense and learning my system as far as how we rotate and how we guard people,” said Eck, “It was something kinda new to them a little bit, but they’re getting it pretty good.” The Crusaders have been unstoppable so far this season with a record of 12-1, and look to be a legitimate contender for the state title.