Best of the Rest: Bishop McGuinness Classic
Oftentimes, players, games, and events do not exactly fit into a category or niche in the game of basketball. From the analytical perspective of the game, many evaluators get caught up in the basketball qualities somebody possesses, like every person has 2K sliders. At Prep Hoops, we like to keep things fun, fresh, and captivating in our pursuit of providing the most extensive high school hoops coverage in the country. With that in mind, here is a list of some of those unique “other” superlatives from the Bishop McGuinness Classic over the weekend.
Best student section — Edmond Memorial
Ahh, they’ve done it again. Those kids from Edmond Memorial carried their team to a win over the No. 1 Edmond Santa Fe Wolves. And I’m not talking about the team. I’m talking about the EMHS student section. Venturing the 15-minute drive from Memorial to Bishop McGuinness, Memorial’s side of the gym bellowed to a fever pitch of adolescent taunts and chants from the 40-or-so-deep EMHS student section. I had to deduct a few points from the kids for going with “jersey night” for the umpteenth game in a row, but c’est la vie. The most entertaining part was a Memorial student on the front row hoisting a white board for the Wolves’ bench to see, provoking the Santa Fe faithful with various phrases like “Santa Fe caused the government shutdown,” “Who’s your daddy,” and my personal favorite, “Santa Fe listens to Nickelback.” Bravo, Dogs. You’ve outdone yourselves.
Most humble player — Miles Slater, Deer Creek
Modesty, graciousness, and selfless leadership go a long way. If you ask anybody from Deer Creek, they will tell you that senior point guard Miles Slater, who was named to the BMCHS Classic all-tournament team, embodies each of those values.
“It’s an honor,” said a soft-spoken Slater. “I’ve been wanting this award ever since I started playing for Deer Creek. It means the world to me to know that my hard work is paying off.”
In the world of sport, humility has become somewhat of an oddity, even at the high school level. I do not ever want to be a stickler on confidence or self-awareness, but it is pretty refreshing to see a young talent just be thankful for the talents he has and give credit to others. That is exactly what you get with Slater.
“He’s just a great young man,” said Deer Creek head coach after the consolation loss to Norman. “Those of us within the program get to see who he is in practice, in the locker room and he’s just a great leader.
Best Quote — Shane Cowherd, Edmond Memorial
Former USA Today National Coach of the Year and three-time 6A State Champion Shane Cowherd knows a thing or two about basketball (Ha). The Edmond Memorial coach is always an interesting post-game interview, and Saturday night, he gave me another piece of journalistic gold. After beating the first-ranked Santa Fe Wolves in the championship game of the BMCHS Classic, the now 12-1 Bulldogs both captured the championship and avenged their only loss. Here is the quote that really grabbed my attention.
“Defense travels every night, it doesn’t matter whether you’re shooting the ball well or not,” Cowherd said. “If you’re defending well, you give yourself an opportunity to win.
“Tonight, we only shot the ball 35 percent, but we held Santa Fe to 32 percent.”
To hear such a simple, approachable perspective from one of the most, if not the most, accomplished coaches in the state threw me for a loop. Even more interesting, the way Cowherd coaches his team is noticeable within the players themselves. Living in Edmond, I get to see this team pretty often, and talk to Cowherd’s players on a regular basis; they almost always allude to the importance of defense to their continued success. Whether it is a post-game interview, or just catching up with them before a game. It seems that the Bulldogs have a pretty team-bound culture on 15th Street.