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Cruse selected for 2026 NJCAA Men’s Basketball Coaches Association All-Star Game

Promotional basketball graphic announcing a 2026 All?Star selection. A Johnson County Community College player in a gold Johnson County jersey, number 21, is shown shooting a basketball against a light textured background with blue and gold accents. Large text reads “Talvan Cruse” and “2026 All?Star Selection.” The top right reads “Johnson County | 6’5 | Forward,” with the JC logo beside it. Logos for the NJCAA, NJCAA Basketball Coaches Association All?Star Game, and sponsors including KBA, Dr. Dish, NABC, Game One, Spalding, and Virgin Hotels appear along the top and bottom.
Posted: Apr 27, 2026

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - The selections for the 2026 NJCAA Men's Basketball Coaches Association All-Star Game have been announced, with 26 players chosen to participate in the 16th annual event. Of the 26 selections, 22 earned NJCAA Men's Basketball All-American honors this season, including 10 First Team All-Americans across Divisions I, II and III.

Johnson County Community College sophomore forward Tavian Cruse was selected to compete in this year's game, becoming the first player in program history to earn the honor. He will represent the North Squad.

The NJCAA Men's All-Star Game, presented by the NABC, will be held at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas on Saturday, May 9, at 7:30 p.m. ET. The game will be streamed on YouTube.

Cruse capped off a historic season in 2025-26, becoming just the sixth player in program history to be named First Team NJCAA Division II All-American. He also earned First Team All-Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC) and All-Region 6 honors, and was named the KJCCC Division II Most Valuable Player.

Additionally, Cruse was a three-time KJCCC Division II Player of the Week selection (weeks 5, 12 and 14) and earned NJCAA Division II National Player of the Week honors in week five.

Cruse played a key role in one of the most successful seasons in program history, helping lead the Cavaliers to their first undefeated regular season at 29-0. JCCC went on to capture the KJCCC Division II championship and earned an at-large berth to the NJCAA Division II National Tournament, finishing eighth and closing the season at 31-3—tying the program record for wins.

Individually, Cruse averaged 13.4 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, becoming just the 11th player in program history to record a season-long double-double average. He scored in double figures in 29 games and recorded 10 or more rebounds in 21 contests, finishing with 19 double-doubles—tying the single-season program record set by Caleb Kennedy in 2001-02.

His 29 double-figure scoring games rank tied for ninth in program history, while his 21 double-digit rebound games are tied for second most in a season. Cruse led the team in rebounding 25 times, the second-highest total in program history, and finished with 348 total rebounds—also second-most in a single season at JCCC.

He shot 55.1 percent from the field (190-of-345), 36.1 percent from three-point range (26-of-72), and 64.5 percent from the free throw line (49-of-76).

Cruse led the KJCCC in total rebounds and rebounds per game, while ranking fourth nationally in total rebounds and eighth in rebounds per game. He also finished fifth in the conference in field goals made (190), sixth in total points (455), 10th in scoring average, third in field goal percentage, and sixth in blocked shots (17).

At the NJCAA Division II National Tournament, Cruse earned All-Tournament Team honors after scoring in double figures in all four games and recording double-digit rebounds twice. He averaged 14.0 points and a team-best 8.8 rebounds per game.

His 56 total points rank tied for 11th in program tournament history, while his 35 rebounds are the second-most. His 8.8 rebounds per game rank seventh all-time, and his 26 made field goals are tied for the third most in tournament history.