Boys Basketball
Darren Corbett and Daniel Cooper: Grimsley does not expect to sneak up on opponents in the upcoming season
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Grimsley head boys basketball coach Darren Corbett and senior forward Daniel Cooper spoke with HighSchoolOT Triad reporter Zack Adams to preview the upcoming season. The Whirlies went 18-8 overall and 7-1 in Metro 4A Conference play during their 2019-20 season.
Show Transcript
good afternoon, everyone. And I welcome back to high school a T. I'm Zach Adams, and I'm joined by a grizzly Head boys basketball coach Darren Corbett, as well as senior forward Daniel Cooper. I thank you all for joining me this afternoon, guys. Thank you, No problem. So first question for you coach at the North Carolina High School Athletic Association is allowing its member schools to play a 14 game regular season much shorter than normal. And without Christmas tournaments like the Haiku Invitational. Uh, just in your opinion, for the student athletes, just how important I wasn't to at least have something to work toward, as there is uncertainty I do to do the coronavirus pandemic for them to just see that they might be having a basketball season, that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. E. I think for us having something was better than nothing. Um, you know, we're excited about the have an opportunity to get out there, but we still know that there are risks involved. So I mean, we're taking everything is as carefully as we can, following all the code protocols that the ESA is set for us. So you know, it's it's it's a different experience, but it's not just us, it's for everybody. So we're having to make that adjustment. I think the kids air trying their best toe, you know, adjust the wearing masks on the court while we're in practice and, you know, but we're trying to take care of our own. But we're excited about the fact that we've got some games and, you know, we just hope we were able to get him in. You know, you look at what's going on with college basketball right now, and so many programs being shut down and you know, games being canceled way. We hope that we can get through our season with this as a little distractions as possible. But, you know, we're also realistic to the fact that something may happen down the line. So the heck of Invitational is sort of being replaced by a little four showcase between a Dudley Grimsley page and been L. Smith just for the 2020 21 season. Um, at least that's for now. Just how did that event come to light? And how excited have you heard that some of the players are to be a competing in that event. Um, it came to light. We were, you know, because we're playing a shortened schedule. And, you know, normally the Heiko was one of those tournaments that all the kids always look forward to every year. But, you know, we were looking for games, really. And so I reached out to, uh, coach party and Thio Coach Fan Court. And then I reached out to coach coach way that who's the idiot at Dudley. And, you know, we just tried to sit down and come up with how we can come up with something to get everybody in together and get the community involved and get people excited about seeing some basketball again. So, you know, for us, I felt like, you know, having something where all four of us a city rivals getting together and weigh Think it's gonna be an attraction this year. We don't We're not sure, you know. It may be that we don't have fans in, and we're not may be allowed to do that, but I think in in time this the whole concept has the ability to grow. It's not something for us that's going to replace the Heiko. I mean, we're excited about participating in the Heiko every year, But, you know, it also may give us an opportunity to showcase what we can do as far as the the original four Greensboro city schools and the rivalries that we've developed over the years. So I know the kids are excited about it. I know that. You know, I know the coaches and the Communities basis are excited about it as well, so we hope it's a good event. So Daniel recently the NCHS a implemented a mass mandate for both indoor and outdoor sports. Just how difficult do you think it's gonna be for you and your teammates to compete these 14 regular season games, plus the playoffs with the face covering all I feel like it's gonna be pretty tough for for me and my guys to go out there and play, but I feel like we've rather play with the Mask on. Did not have a season that also would have been about having a season. It's so I just one of these first couple weeks been like with either, uh, workouts or now actual practices were having to wear these masks. It's been pretty tough, but we're just trying to focus in on just having a lot of energy coming. Their focus, not really worried about having to play with the mask on, just trying to get everybody involved and and have a good time, really. That's a coach. Grimsley finished 18 and eight overall, and that's 71 and I Metro for a conference competition before losing to for a co champion North Neck and on the third round of the state playoffs. If you don't mind, I just take me through the 2019 2020 season. From your perspective as head coach, Sure, I mean, I thought that, you know, I thought we had a really good season last year. I thought that the kids bought in and played really well, coming in coming back to Grimsley as a as a first year coach, um, with the team that we had, I think the first thing that we tried to establish with some sort of defensive presence and our preseason practices and that was what the kids bought into and I think it carried us last year. I thought we did a A really good job and it showed during the later stages of the year when we were able to shut down some teams who are pretty good offensively. Um, but I don't think we're gonna sneak up on anyone this year. Yeah, I think that everybody is gonna be ready for us when we step in the gym and, you know, we know we're gonna We're gonna have a battle on our hands every time we step into it. So I was I was very proud of the fact that we played really, really well last year and beat a good team and Hickory Ridge and then competing with North Mecklenburg for for about 2.5 quarters until they made a run, maybe midway through the third, to kind of put us on our heels. But we're excited, happy. Last thing happened to get time because we had a big win. A so Daniel. On Valentine's Day, Northwest Chris Hampton shattered the backboard inside of Sawyer Gymnasium just before half time. I believe that totally altered the schedule going forward, including having Thio or having to I resume that game on the following day. A Dudley Onda also having a neutral site conference tournament matchup against Rival Page at Fleming Jim on campus at U. N C g. Just what do you remember about those, uh, days following or even weeks following after Christmas dunk attempt? Kind of going wrong? It was crazy just seeing it on SportsCenter. Overtime. Everybody talking about it. People come to me asking about the dunk. Um, but the main thing was that we did win the game at deadly the next day, and nobody ever talked about that. But yeah, it was. It was just crazy that he really did that. Hear them? Eso Daniel. You're able to average of 12.7 points as well as the 8.4 rebounds per game last season, even scored 24 points on 12 of 14 shooting from the field in the state playoffs against North Mecklenburg. Let's talk about the growth in your game, in your opinion, from sophomore to junior season. Well, the summer between my sophomore junior season I was really focusing on getting stronger, getting faster, uh, kind of finishing around the rim or trying to get my outside game better and get my shooting on with 30% of thinkers. But many finish around the basket. Eso coach eso you mentioned a I'm a little bit earlier that you had just returned to Grimsley prior to last season. So what are some things that you saw from Daniel grow throughout his junior year and now, so far in the couple of workouts and practices that you have had leading up into a senior season? Oh, is his confidence on DNA knowing that he can play on a high level? I mean, when Daniel Daniel was really one of our top performers early in the season last year, and I don't know if anybody remembers, he got hurt in the game against Southwest Guilford. And during that stretch, you know, I think we played maybe 500 basketball without him being there. But, you know, had he been at full strength and we have been in that lineup it it probably would have pushed us well over 20 wins. He brings ah, level of athleticism to the floor. He's he's a he's a do it all type kid. He can face up and get to the basket. He can handle the basketball a little bit. He's continuing to improve and work on his jump shot as well. But what I've been Mawr impressed with with Daniel so far has been his his leadership ability in our practices. Um, you know, pulling aside young kids specially when we were having try outs. You know, here's a guy who who knows he's gonna make the team, but he's going and helping kids and getting them in the right spot and telling them maybe how to close out on the wing or or whatever it is. But just doing little things like that to show that he's that he's willing to take on the role of leader for this team. A za coach. I'm outside of Daniel. Just who are some players that you're expecting to step up and play key roles for the world lease this upcoming season? Well, we have 34 different our players, so we could look at Thio to help us out outside of Daniela's. Well, you know, we've got a new inside presence in Travis Shaw. We have ah, point guard returning in Jaden Watlington, who was very solid for us last year, and I saw tremendous growth from from his sophomore toe or from his freshman sophomore years and then Tyler Albright. Tyler was a part time starter for us, but, you know, was able to provide some big games for us on the offensive and defensive end throughout the season. So you know you have that. Well, you have that core group of guys and then, you know, were hoping to get a couple of, um, other kids to kick in as well. This year, I think we've got, you know, some kids who are who are waiting for their time, and, you know, we're going to see if they can come through and perform for us this year. But the core that we have in the group that we're going to depend on to really carry us will be those those. Those four were also hoping to get back Luke Jenkins for us as well. So Luke is a senior leader, but he's gonna be out with an injury for a little bit. But But we're excited about the core that we have, and we're hoping that we can put forth a great season this year. That's a coach. Back in the spring, I talked Thio Travis Shaw. He's, of course, a four star defensive lineman on the football team as well. But he mentioned towards the end of our interview just how Grimsley, football and Grimsley boys basketball. I really have a family like atmosphere on Guy said that it was a great relationship between the coaches as well as the players that made played both sports or even I just wanted the sports. So just what would you say about that assessment and just how would you describe the tight knit relationship between the two programs? I think he's absolutely right, you know? I mean, Coach Brown, you know, Coach Brown and I go way back because when I first started coaching high school, I was an assistant basketball coach at Southern Gilford and and Coach Brown was, I believe, a senior on that team at the time. So, you know, I've always known Daryl have known he's done a great job, loved what he did at Southern. Gilford has carried that over Thio Grimsley. Um, Darryl was actually one of the first people that reached out to me and called me about the about the job when it came open, and you know when when I was approached about it, I was very excited about the opportunity to come back home. But But, yeah, we have a great relationship between our two programs. Um, if I'm not going out there toe watch his practices, he's in watching. Watching our stuff are, you know, Coach Rigsby and Coach Nicholson and Coach Trip and coach coach Will Brown. Those guys are really good guys and great, great coaches as well. But we stress one family at Grimsley when our athletic department and so there's a tremendous amount of support that we give to one another. So whether it's them going on their playoff run, or you know me looking in the stands when we're at North Mech or a Hickory Ridge and and seeing those same football coaches down there supporting us, So it's a really good vibe that we have going on now, some slight coach Albright, Our A D says the great time to be a world. So So we're excited about that bond that we have, and we're looking forward to supporting each other this year. Daniel. Next question for you. I do have any personal or team goals in mind for the upcoming season personal goal of mom's uh going out giving 100% or something Get on the court being, uh, being a guy, my God, rely on on a team that would be, ah, State championship. Yeah, eso coach. 6 ft four small forward meal Flowers moved on and is now playing for head coach Tubby Smith at High Point University. Hey has started all three games. I believe that the Panthers have played after posting 19, 7 and three each night is a senior for you at Grimsley. Just how important of a loss is a meals both statistically and leadership wise? For the world's least, uh, it's a It's a tremendous loss for us on the court. You know, when Mills a special talent. You know, he's the type of kid where you know he's gonna go out on the floor and do everything it takes to win on on both ends. I think a lot of people look at the stats that he has a faras offensively, but the middle also let us in. Charges last year are charges taken. He had 2021 different charges that he took, so he brought a different type of energy on both ends of the court. So it's hard to really replace a player like a mill, but we're going to do everything we can to try toe. You know, put guys in positions where they can just take a little piece of what he did and what he did there in orderto try to help us become the, You know, the same type team that we were last year. But we're extremely proud that a mill is having a success that he has at High Point University. I think he's averaging close to 30 minutes a game as a as a freshman starter right now. So where we were excited about Coach Smith coming over to our practices and and and coming in and watching the mill and watching what we're doing it Grimsley, you know. But I think it puts our program on the map because it shows that we're producing good basketball players because not only do we have a mill who's who's at high point, we also have Ronan, Martin and Jenny. Who's that at Greensboro College and down at North Carolina Wesleyan? Devin recipe is down there, a starting guard. So So we're putting out players here. Grimsley and I think that's the most important thing. It gives great exposure when people see our our kids going on to college and doing well. And we're looking forward to Daniel doing that same thing next year, so we're ready to see what we can do. So, Daniel, just what may have you learned from a meal from a leadership perspective last season, and I just how do you think that you're gonna adapt to that and maybe add your own spin on things and I become a senior leader and hopefully provide some great things for this grizzly team in your senior season? What I got from a male, he just came to work every day like practice. He was always until helping guys out, talking, being being the guy that the guys really like relied on and depended on, really, And I just wanted to do the same thing. If not, do a little more, help our guys out and do anything we could do. Win. Uh, next question is, for both of y'all. Metro, for a conference should be fun to cover as well as I keep up with again. Here in these next couple of months are Grimsley, High Point, Central Northwest Guilford Page and Ragsdale or the five teams within the league? Um, I said, Daniel will start with you. Let's talk about the landscape of the conference and I just what the competition is like a night in and night out. It's a it's a fun conference, you know, everybody's gonna come and and bring the best every night. We just got to come and do the same thing as well. Um, it's fun. It's very, uh, crowds get into it. Arrival pages also in the in that conference. So it's a very nice atmosphere and that we are playing there. Okay, Um, I think the Metro is a great conference to be in and touching them. What Daniel said, it's You have to bring your a game every night. Okay, there. There are no off nights with with any of the teams within our conference, so I think there's there's good talent, there's there's great coaching, so we have to make sure that every every night that we're prepared to play on because we were able to have success last year, then we know we're gonna have a bullseye on our chests. Everybody's gonna be ready for us. So I think playing in the conference, where we we have such talented teams and talented coaches that, you know, it's it's it's a challenge. But at the same time, I think it's a challenge we're ready to compete in against this year. The last question is offer you coach and say, I'll fill in the blank for Grimsley to be successful and it's 2020 21 season blank needs to happen. Oh, well, I think that we need to be disciplined. We need to make sure that we continue to focus on defense and we need to stay together. You know, especially in a situation like this year where you know, it's a shortened season and we don't know what could happen. Toe interrupt our season. We hope that it doesn't. But, you know, we're gonna need to make sure that we stay together on DCA Intinusa, that same family atmosphere that we've we've we've built here at Grimsley High School. So So hopefully, if we can get those things that happen, then we'll put ourselves in a position to win every game this year