Kirkwood Mens Basketball

Kirkwood lands big man from Sweden

Kirkwood Coach Bryan Petersen has not had a chance to watch Martin Hyberg play basketball in person, but he's studied film of the 6-foot-10 center from Sweden and likes what he's seen.

Hyberg comes highly recommended from a friend of Petersen's in the coaching business and has good credentials, having played for the U20 Sweden National Team.

"We've watched film on him, but we haven't seen him in person," Petersen said Friday. "So you don't really know until they get here, but we're expecting him to come over and impact our team right away."

Petersen has landed a big recruiting class with 11 new players, including nine scholarship players and two walk-ons. He needed a big class, because only five players will be returning from the unit that went 21-10 this season.

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Olson brothers pick UNI, Kirkwood

It's been a good week for the Olson brothers of Cedar Rapids and their college basketball careers.

Taylor Olson has accepted an offer to join the University of Northern Iowa basketball team as an invited walk-on and his younger brother Jacob has accepted an offer to play at Kirkwood.

The Olson brothers starred at Jefferson High School, where they were all-state selections. Taylor Olson played at Kirkwood the past two years and now Jacob Olson will be following in his footsteps.

Both brothers are point guards who can handle the ball and score.

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Petersen sheds 'interim' tag at Kirkwood

Bryan Petersen can cut the "interim" tag off his warmup suit at Kirkwood Community College now.

The job is all his.

Kirkwood has named Petersen, 26, the official men's basketball coach after he served as the interim coach this past season.

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Jans named coach at Bowling Green

Chris Jans is living proof that the Kirkwood slogan of "Start Here, Go Anywhere" applies to its former coaches as well.

Jans led the Kirkwood Community College men's basketball team to a national title in 1999, just three years after inheriting a club that went 11-20. Most recently, he helped Wichita State reach the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament in 2013 and win 35 straight games this year before losing to Kentucky in the NCAA tournament this past weekend.

Now Jans is leaving his post as the associate head coach at Wichita State to become the head coach at Bowling Green, his 10th stop on a successful career, but his first job as a head coach at the NCAA Division I level.

"That is a pretty neat deal," Kirkwood athletic director Doug Wagemester said Monday night. "A well-deserved deal, if I may add."

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