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Cory Gaston goes for No. 1: Bison senior inks with Morningside College
McCook High School senior Cory Gaston did not settle for anything less than the best.
That's why he signed a letter of intent Thursday to play basketball at Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa, a liberal arts college affiliated with the United Methodist Church.
The Mustangs are the No. 1-ranked team in NAIA Division II this season with a 22-0 record and lead the Great Plains Athletic Conference with an 11-0 record.
Morningside men's basketball coach Jim Sykes was in McCook Thursday to sign Gaston in person.
Gaston, a 6-foot-2 guard, chose Morningside over offers from Hastings College, Nebraska Wesleyan and Northwest Missouri State and said he was relieved to get the signing finished.
He is projected as a 2-guard or wing in the Mustangs' lineup.
"It's a relief to get this off my chest and try not to do too much (to impress recruiters)," Gaston said. "I know the coach really well and I have seen them in action. Morningside has a tradition of being successful.
"They are losing some seniors (the Mustangs start five seniors and will graduate seven players). The coach says I can come in and play right away. I will need to put some muscle on and add a little weight. I'll do whatever it takes."
Gaston, who was a member of the McCook Daily Gazette's All-Area Basketball Team last year, said the adjustment to Morningside's style of play should not be too difficult.
"I played for the Future Stars East team this summer and we played teams from Des Moines, Sioux City and Kansas City," Gaston said. "It's a very quick-paced game and very physical. A lot of coaches came down to watch the teams play."
Sykes said Gaston is a good fit for the Mustangs.
"It was a great trip up here (to McCook)," Sykes said. "The trip home will be even better. Cory has great character and is a good person. He's a great basketball player and a great athlete.
"In our system, we have wings. It lets our athletes use their speed. Cory is a well-rounded player and will fit really well."
McCook boys coach Tim Garcia said he has enjoyed coaching Gaston for the past three seasons.
"I was very fortunate because Cory was a sophomore when I got here," Garcia said. "He's a polished player and it's quite evident he loves the game and is very skilled.
"Cory has the ability to be an inside/outside player. We don't hesitate to post him up. He has a lot of strengths."
Gaston averaged 16 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals a game his junior year. He shot 51 percent from the field, including 42 percent from 3-point range, and 72 percent from the free throw line.
During his senior year, Gaston is averaging 15 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals a game.
He is shooting 47 percent from the field, including 36 percent from 3-point range, and 67 percent from the free throw line.
"Cory has been a huge part of this program over the past three years," Garcia said. "Watching him develop as a young man and a player has been fun and I look forward to watching him continue to develop while attending school and playing at Morningside.
"It is nice for Cory to have made this decision at this point in the season. Now his future is set as far as college and basketball go after his senior year and he can take a deep breath and relax. Now he can totally concentrate on the remainder of this season and leading our team."
Now Gaston can concentrate on helping the McCook Bison squad make a late-season run for postseason success.
The Bison, who have won their last three games and are 9-9, will host Ogallala at 7:30 p.m. tonight.
"We've played really well our last three games," he said.
Gaston is a three-sport standout at McCook High School -- basketball, football and track.
He started at free safety, punted and played wide receiver on the Bison football team, which posted a 35-3 record with him in the lineup the last three years.
Gaston was a member of the McCook Daily Gazette's All-Area Football Team in 2006 and 2007 and was an all-Greater Nebraska Athletic Conference selection in 2007.
McCook was the state runnerup in 2005 and 2007 and lost in the semifinals in 2006.
Gaston was a Nebraska Class B state track meet qualifier in the 300-meter hurdles last year.
Gaston, the son of Rod and Pamela Gaston, plans to major in pre-engineering at Morningside.
"They have a very good physics department," Gaston said.