Does Cooper Downs have more late game magic in store for us?
After hearing about, and later seeing on video, Cooper Downs’ late-game heroics against Dixie, I couldn’t help but think back to Boone’s regional tournament win over Holmes last year where Downs scored 21 points.
It was at that moment that I knew he was a player.
It wasn’t because he had 21 points, it was because of the way he scored the 21 points. Downs stepped up that night and led his team against the daunting Holmes’ pressure defense, while creating scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates. He made big shots, finished through hard fouls and closed the game out with fellow backcourt-mate Chase Stanley by scoring 18 of the Rebels’ 22 fourth quarter points.
Big-time players make big plays in big games.
Friday night there was Downs, at it again – this time against the area’s top team, Dixie. With under 30 seconds to play Downs nailed a 3-pointer to tie the game. After Dixie missed a pair of free-throws, Downs had the ball in his hands with under 10 seconds to play. The savvy guard found his way into the middle of the lane, leaned in and created space by fading to his left, and released a tear-drop floater that fell through with a second left on the clock. Dixie’s heave from beyond mid-court at the buzzer was unsuccessful, and the Rebels celebrated another win over a top-rated opponent after just knocking off Holmes earlier in the month.
What’s most impressive about Downs’ performance though, is the fact that it even happened.
He’s not the leading scorer on the team. In fact, he’s the third option on offense at 9.4 points per game. Forward Zane McQueary leads the team with an average of 18.7 per game, and Stanley pitches in with 14. Yet, there was Downs taking and converting the two biggest shots of the game in Boone’s biggest game of the year.
You see where I’m going with this.
Boone’s weapons are rather impressive on the offensive end, and they have a nice armory full of them. When the third leading scorer on your team has the confidence and ability to make big shots like that, you’ve got some really good options to look to for big baskets. You also have a talented rotation that cares more about winning than personal statistics.
It was Downs’ turn against Dixie, but we’ve seen Stanley make big-time clutch shots late in games before as well. He’s also shot the ball at a 38 percent clip from 3-point range on the year, while leading the team in attempts with 153. Then there’s McQueary, who hit seven threes and dropped 25 against Dixie. He’s a machine from beyond the arc (41.6%), and he’s really developed his all-around game to provide more scoring inside and from mid-range.
The Rebels made a decision to go small before the season started, and inserted another small point-guard type of player into the lineup who was too good to keep off of the court, Jakeith Pitts. Pitts really makes Boone play fast with the ball in his hands, and he’s a dynamic player off the dribble who can breakdown a defense and score himself or find teammates. As I said, this Boone team has weapons, and they are tough to matchup with.
The team that beat Dixie Friday night though, wasn’t the same team that started the season for Boone. The Rebels weren’t bad, and were still one of the better teams in the 9th Region, but there’s been a great deal of development as the season has gone on. The result is a legit 9th Region title contender with two of the most impressive wins this season in Northern Kentucky on their resume in February heading into postseason play.
Early in the year, the Rebels played at a frantic pace most of the time. They pressed on defense and lived off of quick turnovers that led to easy points. They sped opponents’ up and turned the game into a track meet where their three guards excelled in transition and McQueary got great looks from three consistently. They wanted to outscore you clearly, but they would get sloppy with the ball and made it easy on defenses at times with quick shots.
Now, the Rebels still aren’t great defensively (although they’ve improved in that regard), but they do value possessions now. While they still play fast, they’ll also pull it back out and run a great set play, as opposed to forcing something that’s not there. They execute very well in the half-court and do a tremendous job of making the defense work. They constantly force opponents to defend ball-screens, and they have three crafty guards, plus the perfect pick ‘n pop player in McQueary to utilize in those situations.
Coach Greg McQueary deserves credit for the way his team is executing on the offensive end. He deserves even more credit for the way he’s developed some of his other players.
Keenan Palmer and Travis Carr, two senior wings, have transformed from energy-infusing players who just brought athleticism and hustle to the floor, into threats on the offensive end, capable of having a big scoring night from time to time. They both add a scoring punch when they’re in the lineup – further complicating the opponents’ issues when matching up with the Rebels. Also, Kameron Schwartz, the quarterback on the football team, has picked up his play as of late. Schwartz scored 19 points against Dixie. He plays hard and gives them a lot of energy on defense too.
Boone County is playing their best basketball of the season when it matters most.
I bumped the Rebels up to No. 3 in my final NKSB Top 10 poll. They deserved it after knocking off Holmes and Dixie. With the wealth of weapons at Coach McQueary’s disposal and the momentum his team has, I see Boone as a team very capable of winning the regional tournament.
The fact that they have winners like Downs and Stanley, who have proven the tendency to step up in big games, only further cements my feeling that they’re going to be a tough out at the Bank of Kentucky Center.
