Barton's Williams and Rodriguez earn men’s basketball program's third straight year with NJCAA All-America accolades #GoBarton
Cougars’ third straight year with All-America honors, duo become 17th and 18th overall
Noah Williams and Aris Rodriguez have been named to the 2026 Division I All-America selection teams released by the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).
The announcement marks the third consecutive year and fifth in the last three seasons the Cougars have been selected for the national distinction, Williams landing on the 3rd team with Rodriguez garnering Honorable Mention distinction on the 50-man award list.
The duo become the 17th and 18th Cougar to garner All-America status in earning the program's 21st overall honor, following Brent Moss (2nd Team) and Keandre Kindell (Honorable Mention) landing on last year's award list and Lajae Jones' 2nd Team selection from the 2024 national championship season.
The pair played key roles in fueling Barton's late-season surge, winning ten straight games to close the conference slate and secure a share of the Jayhawk Conference title at 17-7, the program's second in the past three seasons. Extending the streak to twelve games, Barton advanced to its fourth straight Region 6 title game before falling to co-champion Butler. Rodriguez and Williams added to their postseason accolades by earning selections to the 2026 six-man All-Region 6/Plains District Tournament Team.
Ranked No. 17 nationally, Barton secured its third consecutive NJCAA Division I National Tournament appearance, falling in the opener to conclude the season at 24-10 overall.
NOAH WILLIAMS – 3rd Team
Williams' impact was immediate and consistent, earning Week 8 KJCCC Player of the Week honors following a career-high 33-point performance on 50 percent shooting while adding nine rebounds.
In that outing, Williams etched his name into the program record book, converting 25-of-29 free throws—setting school records for both makes and attempts—in Barton's upset of then-No. 19 Butler.
Across the 24-game conference slate, Williams averaged 15.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, ranking tenth and third in the league respectively in garnering 1st Team All-KJCCC/Region 6 accolades, along with, being voted the Newcomer of the Year.
Overall, the 6'8" redshirt freshman from Los Angeles, California, recorded six double-doubles on the season, finishing with averages of 15.4 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. His season highs included 33 points against Garden City and 17 rebounds versus Dodge City.
ARIS RODRIGUEZ – Honorable Mention
After earning Honorable Mention honors last season, Rodriguez elevated his game into one of the league's most dynamic two-way threats, earning 1st Team All-KJCCC/Region 6 honors by ranking third in scoring at 18.0 points per game while adding 2.0 steals per contest—fourth best in the conference.
Rodriguez scored in double figures in 22 of 24 conference games, with the remaining two contests resulting in nine-point efforts. He surpassed 19 points in 11 league games and topped the 30-point mark twice, including a career-high 39-point performance against Garden City.
That outing capped a dominant stretch, following a 21-point effort on 8-of-14 shooting against Fort Hays Tech Northwest, combining for 60 points across two games to earn Week 14 KJCCC Player of the Week honors.
During Barton's 12-game win streak, Rodriguez averaged 22 points per game, later adding 37 points in the Region 6 Championship game and 12 points in his final appearance at the national tournament.
Averaging 19.4 points per game on the season, Rodriguez racked up a program ninth best 658 points giving the 6'5" sophomore out of Reading, Pennsylvania, 1077 career points ranking tenth all-time and becoming a member of Barton's 1,000-point club.