By Bryan Bloodworth
NORMAL – Former assistant coach Andrew McDowell takes over the coaching reigns for the University High School’s boys’ basketball team this season for Bob Fitzgerald, who is on a teaching sabbatical, but don’t expect a lot of change.
“I don’t think you should expect any change as far as what we’ve done on offense and defense,” said McDowell. “I mean I’m going to make things unique to how I see the game and what fits our players this year, but that’s something we always want to do.
PODCAST: Listen to McDowell interview here
“We don’t want to just get stuck in a system, but develop a system that fits our talent that comes in and out each year. This year we have strong guards, so we’re going to try and develop a system that allows them to showcase their abilities.”
Leading the way will be 6-foot senior guard Keondre Schumacher, who has already signed a letter of intent with Winthrop. The crafty Schumacher averaged 16.9 points and 2.9 assists while making 74 shots from 3-point range.
Schumacher is among 10 returnees from last year’ 23-5 squad and should get plenty of help from seniors Nate Robinson, Jake Armstrong, Myles Aldridge and sophomore Kai Bates-Diop, who is already drawing Division I interest.
McDowell said guard play will be the team’s strength.
“We shoot the ball real well,” added McDowell. “We’re really athletic. We’re going to be able to get up and down the floor, get in the lane, finish at the lane and kick out the ball to open shooters. I think we’re going to be hard to guard.
“We have guys who are hungry to score and right now we’re trying to get guys who are hungry to defend as well. With our athleticism, I have to see the same effort on the defensive end of the floor as well.”
McDowell did say rebounding could be an issue.
“This year it’s going to be hard for us to defensive rebound, so we’re putting an emphasis on our guards and a bunch of different guys getting three, four, five rebounds a game and not relying on one or two guys going up and cleaning up the defensive glass.
“I have high expectations. It’s the last year of the Corn Belt Conference and it’s always important for us to do well in the conference, so that’s one of our goals to win the Corn Belt. For us that would mean a lot to have that trophy.
“Also, we want to have success in the post-season and we don’t want to shy away from what that might look like. We’ve never won a 3A regional and this group of seniors is hungry for that 3A regional plaque to hang in our halls.
Bryan Bloodworth can be reached at [email protected]
