By CONOR NICHOLL

Hays Daily News

Corbin Kuntzsch, a freshman guard on the Fort Hays State University men's basketball team, has a chance to join rare company this season.

One of the best freshmen in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, Kuntzsch could become just the second Freshman of the Year in Fort Hays history.

The only Tiger who has earned that honor was Nate Rollins, who collected the award in 1982-83 when Fort Hays played in the Central States Intercollegiate Conference.

Kuntzsch, an all-state player for Scott City High School last season, has started 10 games and is averaging 22.1 minutes a night.

Of the 27 freshmen and redshirt freshmen that are seeing time on MIAA rosters, Kuntzsch ranks third in starts and fourth in minutes played.

Only Missouri Southern's Skyler Bowlin and Truman's Ethan Freeman have started more games. Freeman, Truman's Alex Henderson and Bowlin average more minutes a night.

Kuntzsch also ranks high in several offensive and defensive categories. He scores 6.2 points per night, collects 3.2 rebounds and has 26 assists and 18 steals as Fort Hays' point guard in the non-conference season and small forward during conference play.

Kuntzsch ranks fourth among freshmen in points behind Bowlin, Southwest Baptist's Tristan Steele and Freeman and second behind Freeman in rebounds. He is sixth in assists and second in steals.

Kuntzsch is the only freshman who ranks in the top six in points, rebounds, assists and steals.

The brother of Tiger senior and potential all-conference player Sheena Kuntzsch, Corbin has also delivered several seminal moments for Fort Hays this season.

That included grabbing several offensive rebounds and sinking several clutch shots as the shot clock wound down in Fort Hays' triple overtime victory against Pittsburg State on Jan. 30.

"We needed someone to step up and he stepped up," senior guard Jake Sims said of Corbin after that game.

Road woes

The Tigers return home Saturday for home games against Missouri Western. The Fort Hays men (13-8, 6-7 MIAA) have lost four straight road games. Overall, they are 2-7 overall in road games and 1-6 in road contests in the conference.

The Tigers' only two road wins were a non-conference game against University of Nebraska-Kearney and Missouri Western.

The Tigers, though, are not the only team with significant road problems. They are one of four conference teams with fewer than two MIAA road wins. Overall, road teams are 23-36 (.353 winning percentage) in conference play this year.

The MIAA squads are 29-49 on the road against all teams this season.

Only three teams, Southwest Baptist, Missouri Southern and Northwest Missouri, have winning road records in the conference.Those are the MIAA's top three teams.

On the women's side, road problems have likely cost the Tiger women a chance at reaching the postseason conference tournament. Fort Hays (9-13, 3-10) is 0-9 overall in road games, 0-7 in conference road contests.

They have not won a road conference game since a 86-69 victory against Missouri Southern on Jan. 20, 2007.

Gold Rush night

Fans can purchase their Gold Rush T-shirts at the Fort Hays athletic department or stop by Gate 2 during the games Saturday night. The women start at 5:30 p.m. and the men will tipoff at 7:30.

Mo. West History

The women lost 88-66 to Mo. Western earlier this season. The Tigers are 14-18 lifetime against the Griffons and have lost four in a row. Their last home win against Mo. Western came in 1990. Last season, Fort Hays lost 74-62 at home to the Griffons. ... The men are 21-9 lifetime against Mo. West, including a 76-58 win earlier this season. The men have won eight straight at home against the Griffons with their last loss in 1982.

Sports Reporter Conor Nicholl can be reached at (785) 628-1081 Ext. 127 or at

cnicholl@dailynews.net.