May 17, 2004

Cowley lands transfer from Northern Oklahoma College

Jay Crayton, a 5-7 guard from Northern Oklahoma College (Tonkawa) has decided to transfer to Cowley County Community College to play basketball for the Tigers.

Crayton helped NOC to a record of 20-10 overall, and a second-place finish in the Bi-State Conference during his freshman year. He played his high school basketball at Wichita North, and attended several of Cowley head coach Randy Smithson’s camps while Smithson was serving as the head coach at Wichita State University.

“I think coach Smithson is a great coach, and I am looking forward to playing for him,” Crayton said. “It was great being at NOC, but I felt it would be better to be closer to home, and I think at Cowley I will be able to showcase my talents a little better.”

The Tiger coaching staff is looking forward to having Crayton as a member of the Tigers.

“He’s very familiar with how we do things and what our expectations will be,” Cowley assistant coach Brian Jackson said. “Getting guys that want the demands and want what this program is about are the guys that we focused on recruiting wise. He’s another kid that fits that mold.”

Cowley split a pair of games against NOC last season, winning the first meeting 70-61 at W.S. Scott Auditorium/Dan Kahler Court, and losing the second game 67-49 in Tonkawa.

“We have a lot of respect for coach (Mick) Weiberg and the way they teach the game at NOC,” Jackson said. “Jay’s a very coachable kid, and his game is only going to improve.”