As Jonte Flowers stood near midcourt, his championship hat tilted slightly to the side, answering questions on live television from CBS Sports color-commentator Dan Bonner, the Winona State University fans erupted with a familiar chant.
“We got Jonte!”
The phrase may be grammatically incorrect, but the meaning is clear.
Flowers scored 30 points — 25 in the second half — Saturday afternoon to lead the WSU men’s basketball team to an 87-76 victory over Augusta State (Ga.) in the NCAA Division II national championship game.
The senior guard’s performance helped the Warriors earn a second national title in three seasons and proved one last time that “We got Jonte” means “We’re gonna win.”
Apparently, the National Association of Basketball Coaches missed the memo.
In a decision that was as absurd as the length of media timeouts during the gtitle game, the NABC left Flowers off its 16-player All-America team.
“I didn’t even know that,” Flowers said before WSU’s last practice of the season Friday. “It’s all right though.”
Flowers is as modest and humble as he is talented, so it’s not surprising that he claimed not to know of or even care about the slight.
However, for those who have seen Flowers play this season, the NABC’s decision is anything but all right.
Others used better judgement.
Both WSU senior center John Smith and Flowers were named to the five-player Daktronics All-America first team, which is selected based on voting conducted among Division II Sports Information Directors. Daktronics also named Smith the player of the year. Interestingly, it named Flowers and Smith co-players of the year in the North Central Region.
The Basketball Times also named Smith the national player of the year and had the sense at least to name Flowers to its All-America second team.
Perhaps the NABC simply conducted the voting too early, since the selections were released a day before Flowers began his three-game display of unmatched ability at the Elite Eight en route to being named the tournament’s most outstanding player and leading the Warriors to a national title.
In Wednesday’s 67-54 victory over then-undefeated Grand Valley State in the national quarterfinals, Flowers scored a game-high 29 points — 19 in the second half — on 11-of-17 shooting from the floor and 5-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc. He also added five steals, two blocks, three assists and three rebounds.
After leaving the game with 3:18 remaining in the first half to ice a knee injury, Flowers returned from halftime and opened the second half with a 3-pointer. On WSU’s next possession, he posted up on the low block, faked to the inside before spinning toward the baseline and leaping across the lane to finish on the other side of the basket.
Just under two minutes later, he raced across the perimeter and blocked a 3-point attempt. On the other end, he corralled an offensive rebound and recorded the put-back.
Moments later, Flowers flew into the lane and stripped the ball from GVSU’s center. WSU’s Quincy Henderson missed a 3-pointer on the other end, but Flowers stole the ball from the Lakers’ Justin Ringler, raced down the court, finished with a layup while being fouled and knocked down the resulting free throw.
In just under a five-minute stretch, Flowers recorded 10 points, two steals, a block and an offensive rebound. He almost single-handedly brought WSU back from a five-point halftime deficit to give the Warriors a four-point lead — a lead WSU never relinquished — all while putting on an incredible display of his versatility and all-around game.
In WSU’s 86-75 win over then-undefeated Bentley, Flowers had 20 points — 16 in the second half on 5-of-10 shooting — to go along with eight rebounds and two steals. His driving floater with 13:56 remaining gave WSU a 48-47 lead — its first since leading 5-2 early in the game — and his offensive rebound and put-back on a missed free throw by Smith essentially sealed the win.
In Saturday’s title game, Flowers basically threw WSU on his back — again proving he has the ability to take over a game anyhow and in any way he wants.
After Augusta State took a 16-point lead — WSU’s largest deficit of the season — Flowers responded. He made three consecutive baskets — a hanging layup off an inbounds pass, a drive and finish with his left hand, and a pull-up jumper from the free-throw line — on three consecutive possessions, igniting a 21-5 run capped by his pull-up jumper from the left elbow to tie the score at 58-58 with 10:08 remaining.
The Warriors took a four-point lead soon thereafter, but a Steve Smith 3-pointer cut Augusta State’s deficit to one with 5:12 remaining. But, again, Flowers answered.
On the ensuing WSU possession, Flowers drilled a 3 from the left wing.
After a Ben Fischer steal on the other end, Flowers hit another 3 from the top of the key to give WSU its largest lead of the afternoon at 75-68 with 3:57 remaining. Augusta State coach Dip Metress called a timeout, during which that familiar chant rained down from the stands once again.
“It was my last 20 minutes of college basketball,” Flowers said, “and I just had to give it my all.
“I wanted to finish strong and do what I could for the team. Everyone stepped up in the second half and we were fortunate to come out on top.”
Perhaps the NABC based its selections on stats alone. It’s a stretch, but maybe Flowers’ averages (17.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 3.1 steals) and shooting percentage (51.3) weren’t good enough. Even if that’s the case, the snub still is stunningly stupid. It’s just as unfathomable that there’s a DII player who plays better under the pressure of big games.
Augusta State forward Tyrekus Bowman, an NABC All-America selection who scored 26 points — six in the second half — in Saturday’s loss to WSU, said it best:
“Big-time players step up; he’s a great player,” Bowman said, referring to Flowers. “He stepped it up when it counted.”
Too bad the same can’t be said for the NABC.

Reach Matt at mmhuss1550@winona.edu