By Anvil Welch

awelch@joplinglobe.com

Ottawa University men’s basketball coach Andy Carrier on Monday slapped the tag “incredible” on Phil McClintock’s performance this season for the Braves.

McClintock, a 6-foot-5, 230-pound junior out of Neosho High School, earned honorable mention NAIA Division II All-America honors for the Kansas school.

“Really, Phil, who’s unselfish, had an incredible year,” Carrier said. “He sees both ends of the floor as well as anyone I’ve coached. He’s been a great fit for us. He’s doing great academically, too.

“The most impressive part of McClintock’s season was that he placed among the conference (Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference) leaders in seven categories,” Carrier said.

McClintock, who moved into the Ottawa starting lineup as a sophomore, averaged 16.8 points and 7 rebounds. He shot 54.6 percent overall from the field — 45 percent from 3 — and 82.8 from the foul line.

McClintock totaled a leading 78 steals and added 81 assists and 44 blocked shots for the Braves (24-9 overall, KCAC champion at 14-4).

Ottawa lost to Friends in the postseason KCAC tournament before finishing 1-1 in the NAIA Division II National Tournament held at College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Mo.

Leading scorer David Birch, a 6-1 junior from Olathe East, joined McClintock on the all-KCAC team and received third-team All-America honors.

The Braves lost 86-81 to ninth-seeded Bethel (Ind.) in the second round of nationals despite 28 points by Birch, 14 points and 10 rebounds by 6-4 junior Clint Brightman (from Oswego) and 13 points and three steals by McClintock.

“They (Bethel) were on fire the first half,” McClintock said. “But we made it a game at the end. We were within 5 points with three minutes remaining.”

McClintock, hitting 4-of-8 treys, scored 31 points to help the Braves beat eighth-seeded King (Tenn.) College 70-65 in the first round.

McClintock said Brightman, a transfer from Independence (Kan.) Community College, was a big help throughout the season.

“Clint moved into the starting lineup when our center (6-5 senior Clint Bones) went down with an injury late in the season,” McClintock said. “Clint (Brightman) had been our sixth man.”