Metro Sports Report

Usher commits to Kirkwood baseball

If Levi Usher plays college baseball, he'll stay in the neighborhood and play for the Kirkwood Eagles.

It could be a big "if," however.

Usher, a senior at Cedar Rapids Prairie, would be tempted to skip college and play pro baseball if he's selected high enough in the major league draft this June and likes the offer.

"I would be very tempted," he told the Metro Sports Report Sunday evening. "It's something my parents and I have talked about. I think I'm ready for it.

"We'll see how the spring goes and how I play."

Usher is a fleet center fielder who hit .468 with seven homers, 34 RBIs and 37 stolen bases for Prairie last season as a junior. He's ranked as the No. 2 high school prospect in Iowa by Perfect Game USA and the 82nd best high school player in the country.

If he goes high enough in the draft and is offered a lucrative signing bonus, he'll head straight to the minor leagues. If the draft does not turn out the way he wants, he'll head to Kirkwood and play for the Eagles in 2019.

Muhl nets 850th win as Eagles soar

The showdown for the conference lead turned into another showcase for the Kirkwood women's basketball team Saturday.

It also produced the 850th victory for Coach Kim Muhl in his Hall of Fame career with the Eagles.

The second-ranked Eagles jumped to a 22-2 lead in the first quarter and pelted 14th-ranked DMACC, 84-45, at Johnson Hall to grab a two-game lead in the ICCAC conference standings.

"It was a good win for us," said Muhl. "They dialed in."

Muhl raised his record to a sizzling 850-150 in exactly 1,000 games at Kirkwood in 29 years. He's already won seven NJCAA Division II national titles and has a shot at No. 8 this season.

Muhl, 62, brushed aside a question about making a run for 1,000 wins before he's through.

"I'm going for 851," he said, laughing.

Kirkwood raised its records to 21-3 overall and 7-0 in the conference with its 11th straight victory. The league's two alphabet schools, DMACC and NIACC, are both 5-2 at the mid-point of the race.

Wilson helps No. 8 Eagles top DMACC

Doug Wilson used to treat visits to the free throw line like he was going to the dentist.

Now it seems like he's going to the candy store when he gets fouled. And he's taking the Kirkwood Eagles along for the goodies.

Wilson made DMACC pay at the foul line Saturday as the eighth-ranked Eagles beat the Bears, 83-73, in an ICCAC conference game at Johnson Hall.

Wilson cashed 8 of 10 foul shots at key times and scored a game-high 20 points as Kirkwood maintained a two-game lead in the conference at the halfway point of the campaign.

This past Wednesday night, Wilson was 8 for 11 at the charity stripe and poured in a career-best 34 points as the Eagles won a big game at Ellsworth.

Adding those numbers together, the 6-foot-7 freshman from Des Moines is 16 for 21 at the foul line the last two games for 76.2 percent. Prior to that, he was a poor 20 of 55 for 36.4 percent.

Practice. Practice. Practice.

Wilson nets 34 for No. 8 Eagles

IOWA FALLS - Doug Wilson poured in 34 points Wednesday night as the  eighth-ranked Kirkwood Eagles dropped Ellsworth, 90-83, in an ICCAC conference game in Iowa Falls.

Wilson, who leads NJCAA Division II in shooting accuracy, made 13 field goals and was 8 for 11 at the foul line.

The victory kept the Eagles in first place in the conference at 5-0, good for a two-game lead in the loss column. Kirkwood has won eight straight games and is now 16-4 overall.

Ethan Meeker popped in four 3-pointers and contributed 18 points for the Eagles.

Ellsworth fell to 12-8 overall and 1-4 in the conference.