JASON HENNINGTON jason.hennington@granitemedia partners.com
The Taylor Duck boys basketball team is set to meet some tough competition next weekend.
The team will head to the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches Boys Showcase June 21-23. The event will feature over 400 teams, and is the single largest state June scholastic event in the nation, according to TABChoops.com.
Taylor Head Coach Stephen Gibson said this will be an opportunity for his team to continue to grow and get better as a unit.
“We really want to learn how to play and communicate together,” he said. “We want them to work hard and always do their best. So, basically, I just expect them to go out and compete at a high level.”
The schedule has the Ducks facing Brock at 2:30 p.m. June 22, and Fort Worth Christian at 8 a.m. and Dumas at 1:25 p.m. June 23.
Although the Ducks have been playing on Mondays and Wednesdays since April, Gibson said the big stage will be a little different for the young team.
“It will probably be a culture shock at first, but with this group of guys that we have, I am sure they will adapt and adjust just fine,” he said.
The team is gaining experience over the summer through leagues, and Gibson expects to continue to build on that with this showcase.
“They have been working hard and competing and just getting better everyday,” he said about the players. “With that being said, they have bought into what we are preaching and teaching, which is adversity, communication, playing together as a team, family, and above all, just loving and respecting each other.”
This year, Gibson completed his second season as the head coach in Taylor, and led the Ducks to a playoff berth. He said making a team better is a process, and doesn’t happen overnight.
“It usually takes three to four years to turn a program around, I can actually say that we’re ahead of schedule,” he said. “You might not be able to see it or process it right now but Taylor basketball is on the rise to be relevant again.”
