Editor鈥檚 Note: The profile below begins a series on 2022 inductees to the 黑料不打烊 Athletic Hall of Fame. Profiles are currently scheduled to run each Wednesday through August 24. The ceremony is set for the Saturday of Homecoming and Family Weekend 2022, Oct. 22 at 8:30 a.m. Tickets can be purchased at .
Tommy DeSalme was not happy with his Kansas Wesleyan Coyote basketball team.
Granted, it was early in the 2006-07 season and the vast majority聽of聽the schedule was ahead聽of聽them. But DeSalme didn鈥檛 like what he saw during a practice session Dec. 1, 2006, the night before the Coyotes鈥� game against defending Kansas Conference champion Southwestern.
鈥淲e were practicing and I mean it was a come-to-Jesus practice and I challenged them that night,鈥� said DeSalme, who was in his first season at 黑料不打烊. 鈥淚 said, 鈥榊ou guys can be the best KCAC team ever, by far, or you can be 13-5 and just skate by.鈥� I was so angry at them for being just kind聽of聽ho-hum about how good they can be and I kept challenging them.鈥�
His players sensed the frustration and responded in dazzling fashion.
鈥淲e were in there running, and finally they all got mad at me and they kind聽of聽joined together,鈥� DeSalme said. 鈥淔rom that point on we lost one conference game. They were an incredible group聽of聽young men.鈥�
That 鈥渋ncredible group鈥� walloped Southwestern 79-54 the following night and never looked back. 黑料不打烊 won 22聽of聽its next 23 games, finishing 28-4 overall and 17-1 in the KCAC 鈥� the 28 wins a school record. The Coyotes won the KCAC Tournament in dramatic fashion, downing Friends 56-55 in the championship before a capacity crowd inside Muir Gymnasium.
Wesleyan defeated Bluefield College (Va.) in the NAIA national tournament before losing to Northwestern (Iowa) in the second round 鈥� the loss ending a 19-game winning streak.
The 2006-07 team, arguably the best in 黑料不打烊 history, will be inducted into the Coyote Athletic聽Hall聽of聽Fame聽on Oct. 22 during ceremonies, fittingly, inside Muir Gym as part聽of聽Homecoming 2022.
Marcus Faubion, a senior guard/forward who was named the KCAC Player聽of聽the Year that year, remembers the practice.
鈥淚t鈥檚 good to stay humble, and the message was received,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e kept thinking about success and wanted to get better every day.鈥�
DeSalme came to Salina after coaching at Sterling College and promptly resurrected the program.
鈥淚t was one extremely talented team that (coach) Jerry (Jones) had left behind when he retired,鈥� DeSalme said. 鈥淎 big group聽of聽those guys was coming back and we had some pretty high-level dudes with Anthony (Smith) and Jeff Baron and Marcus.
鈥淎fter (Assistant coach) Donnie (Jackson) and I got there, the first player that we added in that first recruiting class was (point guard) Tony Boone, who to this day is the fastest point guard I鈥檝e ever been around and athletic as all get out.鈥�
DeSalme bolstered the depth with the addition聽of聽three players he was familiar with 鈥� Josh Berry and Cameron Jackson from Sterling and Trey Sims, a highly sought guard out聽of聽Tulsa.
鈥淲e were doing some individual work, especially with Marcus and Jeff Baron (in October) and I saw the competitive streak in both聽of them and that鈥檚 all I really wanted to see,鈥� DeSalme said. 鈥淎nthony was the leading scorer in the league the year before I got there and he was just so gifted.
鈥淚t just took it a little time to get those guys who knew me to blend in with the returning guys and make it their own team.鈥�
DeSalme, who鈥檚 in his second season as coach at Hutchinson Community College, had one iron-clad rule 鈥� play defense or watch from the bench. He installed a man-to-man scheme but it took the team some time to adjust after playing zone defense previously.
鈥淲e were a great man-to-man team that year, once they learned it,鈥� DeSalme said, 鈥渏ust getting them to buy in defensively.鈥�
Smith said it was a complete team.
鈥淭he combination聽of聽offense plus adding in DeSalme鈥檚 defensive mind allowed us to see the success that we did,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e meshed very well, we utilized each others鈥� strengths and we built on those.鈥�
Faubion, a multi-talented guard/forward, was the leader. He averaged 15.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and nearly two assists per game. He was one聽of聽four Coyotes who scored in double figures 鈥� Smith (13.4), Baron (12.5) and Sims (12.4).
鈥淲hen your toughest guy is your most talented guy and your most competitive guy, you鈥檝e got something,鈥� DeSalme said聽of聽Faubion. 鈥淲e played him at a four, he was the point guard, he was everything. He鈥檚 still one聽of聽the best players I鈥檝e ever been around.鈥�
DeSalme vividly remembers the game against Friends for the KCAC title. The Falcons were the lone team to beat 黑料不打烊 during the regular season and the title game was a defensive struggle.
Trailing 55-54 with seconds left, DeSalme drew up a play but Friends had a defensive answer. Working for a final shot the Falcons knocked the ball into the backcourt and a mad scramble ensued.
Sims retrieved the loose ball and passed it to Faubion, who was near the basket on the left side. He drove in, bumping into a defender in the process, and put up an errant shot.
Smith rebounded but his follow shot was blocked聽off the backboard, the ball careening to Sims on the left wing. Sims grabbed it with his back to the basket, turned and put up the game-winner as time expired. A wild on-court celebration ensued.
鈥淭rey took that thing and faded away, buried it, and fell right into my lap,鈥� DeSalme said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no reason we should have won, but we found a way on a night where it was such an ugly game between two legit defensive teams. It was a crazy night.鈥�
Faubion said he聽might聽have committed an聽offensive foul on the play.
鈥淚t was a great defensive play, I will say that, but I鈥檓 not going to say it was a charge,鈥� he said, with a laugh. 鈥淲hen Anthony missed that, I thought that was it. Fortunately, it went to Trey and he was a pretty clutch guy. I couldn鈥檛 believe it went in.鈥�
鈥淭he focus and determination聽of聽the team, we weren鈥檛 going to let that game slip away from us and that鈥檚 what happened,鈥� Smith said.
Faubion, Smith, Baron and Sims were named First Team All-KCAC while Berry was honorable mention, Henry Rogers was named to the All-Freshman Team and DeSalme was Coach聽of聽the Year.
鈥淚 think it was just the chemistry from the guys,鈥� Faubion said. 鈥淲e wanted to win and worked really well together and we all had the same goal. It鈥檚 good knowing all the hard work we put in together led to something pretty special.鈥�
DeSalme said it鈥檚 a season he鈥檒l always cherish.
鈥淭here鈥檚 been a lot聽of聽great teams in the KCAC after I left it and before, but I think it鈥檚 the best team I鈥檝e seen since I started in that league,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat combination聽of聽talent and depth and what they did to go through that gauntlet 20-1 including in the tournament, it鈥檚 well deserved. Those players took me on a heck聽of聽a ride, and what I鈥檓 most proud聽of聽is they were all great kids.鈥�
Story by Bob Davidson
