Prospect Spotlight: Felix Gallagher (2019)
When it comes to intensity, Des Moines Lincoln senior Felix Gallagher might be the best in Iowa.
The 6-foot-3 forward likened his playing style to that of Draymond Green, a fierce and intense competitor, who gets it done defensively and uses his intensity to gain a mental edge over opponents.
“I feel like I control the defense and I just try and make the right plays on offense, like making that extra pass. And I feel like I have a psychological edge, and that’s not necessarily me talking, but my intensity, a lot of guys aren’t used to it and it gets them flustered,” said Gallagher.
The fiery forward has always been animated on the court, he says it matches his off the court personality. But recently, with the help of his coach at Lincoln, he’s been able to harness that extra energy into something more productive.
“Freshman and sophomore year I was crazy, I played with intensity but I didn’t have direction. Coach (Justin) Einerston gave me a direction and has still allowed me to be me, and he’s given me a direction to focus that intensity,” said Gallagher.
Only recently has basketball become a main focus for Gallagher. Before, he was more of a football guy. This past spring and summer, though, he played his first-ever grassroots season with Beyond Ball and later with Iowa Cornsharks.
“This was the first year I took it seriously,” said Gallagher. “Basketball has become my main sport and football has fallen to the second spot.”
He’ll take that new attitude and approach to the game into a senior with the Railsplitters, one that he feels will be a big improvement over last season; and one where he’ll look to help fill the void left by last season’s leading scorer Will Feller.
“We have a lot of guys that work really hard and want to win. Last season was just a lot of little things, and we really didn’t get blown out a lot,” said Gallagher. “And this year we have a lot returning and we’re hungry to win.”
After high school, Gallagher says he “definitely” wants to pursue hoops in college, and the late-bloomer is hoping to see some interest come in this fall.
“I got invited to the Emporia State elite camp, that I went to last week, that’s about it,” he said. “I’ll be at a camp in Nebraska in September where a lot of college coaches will be.”