Diamond's Logan Myers signs with OCC

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March 14, 2013

Diamond's Logan Myers signs with OCC

By Richard Polen Globe Sports Writer The Joplin Globe Thu Mar 14, 2013, 11:58 PM CDT

DIAMOND, Mo. — Fresh off a third-place finish in the men’s NCCAA Division II Championship basketball tournament, Ozark Christian College head coach Chris Lahm on Thursday added Logan Myers of Diamond to the Ambassadors’ roster.

Myers, a 6-foot-4 forward who was named to the all-Spring River Valley Conference and Class 3 all-district teams, signed with the Crusaders during a ceremony at the Diamond High School library.

“A lot of it was Coach Lahm,” said Myers, who averaged 13.2 points and 7.6 rebounds for the conference champions, who were 25-5 last season. “He came to a lot of my games and made me feel wanted there.”

The Crusaders placed third in the ACCA national championship tournament at OCC, then missed advancing to the championship game by two points and placed third again in the NCCAA tournament last week at Central Bible College in Springfield.

“I went to two or three of their games,” Myers said. “I like that style, a quicker pace.”

Lahm, who picked up his 500th career victory in the ACCA third-place game, has coached for 27 years at either Nebraska Christian or Ozark Christian College.

“This last week, somebody referred to me as an old-school coach,” Lahm said. “If that means we pass the ball and look for the open shot, I’ll take it.”

Myers credited Diamond head coach Brandon Rabel for keeping his high school career on track.

“Our coach is a great guy,” Myers said. “I know him outside of school. If he felt like I was struggling, he was there for me to help me out.”

Rabel returned the compliment.

“He’s an excellent young man who will be beneficial for Ozark,” Rabel said. “I think it’s a matter of seeing how he fits in with the other guys. Obviously, Logan has the skills and the ability to play any position on the floor.

“Even if his points weren’t there, he still made a huge impact on the game with his defense and rebounding.”

Lahm had no reservations about Myers’ ability to contribute to the Crusaders’ success.

“Logan is going to fit in well with the system we run,” Lahm said. “He can put the ball on the floor and he can shoot it.”