Yale boys basketball is the Week 20 winner of the Oklahoma Team of the Week, presented by the Oklahoma National Guard.
Courtesy photo by Belinda Eberhart
Week 20 Winner: Yale Boys Basketball
It’s not by accident,
Yale boys basketball coach Rocky Kennedy said.
The reason his Bulldogs have had so much success since he took over six years ago is simple: Hard work.
"I
have been fortunate over the last six years to have some pretty
talented players who have been willing to put in a lot of time and
effort to get better," he said. "The players have spent a lot of extra
time in the off-season to improve themselves for the betterment of the
team."
Yale is off to an 8-1 start in 2013-14 and have won five
straight. This coming after seasons of 13-11, 22-6, 19-5, 24-7 and 24-6
last year.
The Bulldogs pulled out a couple tight ones in their last two games, 55-53 over Jones and 55-51 over Newkirk.
For
their fast start and long line of success, Yale has been selected as
the MaxPreps Oklahoma Team of the Week, presented by the Oklahoma
National Guard.
The team has been led all season by the two-man scoring onslaught of seniors
Brady Eberhart (15.9 points per game), a 6-foot guard, and
Konner Fowler (15.1), a 6-3 forward.
The
duo has been a rock of consistency and extremely versatile throughout
their careers, Kennedy said. Eberhart also averages 3.6 assists per game
and has a season high of 27 points in a 73-42 win over Shidler. He’s
made 24 3-pointers on the season.
Fowler, who has made 55
percent of his shots this season and averages 7.2 rebounds per game, and
has a high game of 25 points in a 61-49 win over Wellston.
"Brady
and Konner are great players," he said. "They contribute to our team in
many ways. They are very talented players, but they are also great
leaders and teammates."
With nine seniors, experience has definitely helped, especially in close games.
"Most
of our senior class has been playing together since the second and
third grade. They know each other well, and they do not care who gets
the credit or the glory as long as they win the ball game. They are
extremely unselfish.
"This combination of hard work and unselfishness has been some of the major contributors to our success."
Other key seniors are
Jake Winterbottom,
Shane Smith,
Braxton Wade and
Keston Foster.
"We
do have several seniors that have been on varsity since their freshmen
and sophomore years," Kennedy said. "That experience has helped them to
keep their composure in difficult situations.
"We have been to
the Area tournament the last two years, and we would like to find a way
to take the next step and reach the state tournament and give ourselves a
chance to win a state championship."
Do you know a team that deserves
consideration for Oklahoma Team of the Week? Email us with your
nominations at OKteamoftheweek@maxpreps.com.
