Mustangs put early struggles in the past
Kingwood hopes to continue campaign deep into postseason
Kingwood is closing in on a playoffberth.
The Mustangs boys basketball team floundered early on, then they found the right mix of defense and 3-point shooting, helping them move within one game of a playoff spot with three to play
They were 6-3 and third in District 16-6A heading into this week.
“When we started out the season, we weren’t ranked real high or picked to be anything special, and the kids have proven hard work pays off,” coach Royce Huseman said. “The best thing about these kids this year is how good of a team they are.
“They play together well, and that’s why it’s been fun to watch them make this run.”
Huseman says they started jelling before Christmas and took off after the holiday break.
They were two games up on Conroe and three up on Summer Creek with three games left against Atascocita, College Park and The Woodlands. They split with Summer Creek but swept Conroe last week.
A playoff ber th would be Kingwood’s third straight since sitting out in 2013.
It won 18 games that season but finished a game out in a district with the Spring and Klein schools, snapping a 12-year streak of playofftrips.
The key to this year’s run is the players’ willingness to buy into a new approach.
“We’re shooting the 3 very well,” Huseman said. “We hit 14 3s the other day (against Conroe) and hit two or three two-pointers. That’s it. The rest were free throws. And so it’s a different type of game, and it’s not what we set out to do every game, but that’s the way it worked out, (with) the way they were guarding us.”
Huseman said the effort is there most nights, too.
That, combined with a commitment to team defense, has ensured the undersized Mustangs still are a playoff threat.
“In order for us to be good, we have to overachieve somewhat, because there’s always going to be bigger and more athletic teams than us,” Huseman said. “So we have to overachieve … and we have.”
Their 56-33 win over Conroe last Friday went a long way toward ensuring a playoff spot.
“Thatwas a big game for us,” Huseman said.
“We had toc ome out and play really well. I was worried because we laid an egg in the Summer Creekg ame (a 40-38 loss), and I wasn’t sure if something was up, but the kids came out really focused and played well.”
Senior guard Mitchell Clouse hit five 3-pointers and scored 20 points against Conroe.
“(Brandon Burrell) did a great job getting to the bucket, and (the Tigers) collapsed,” Huseman said. “They really were set on not letting him get to the basket, and he did a really good job of distributing the ball around and getting kids open shots.”
Clouse is shooting 44 percent from 3, 68 percent inside the 3-point line, and 82 percent from the charity stripe.
“I was hoping that he would have a season like this because for the last two years on varsity he’s been my hardest worker,” Huseman said. “He puts more time in shooting the basketball than anybody.
“So it’s fun to see a kid who works that hard and has put that kind of time in be rewarded for their efforts.”
Junior G Matt Charles also buried five treys last week against Conroe.
“We’re really good when both those guys (Charles and Clouse) hit shots together,” Huseman said.
Huseman said Burrell may be the team MVP with his ball-handling.
The junior point guard also is their leading rebounder, showing how special he’s been this season.
“In the past we’ve struggled with teams pressing us, and he just handles it,” Huseman said. “It’s hard to press us because he handles it all. He really makes it easy for the other kids. They can focus on doing other things.”
Seniors forward Deven Gould, their big manin the paint, guard Cortez Williams, a physical defender, and G Dalton Lynch, who gives them instant offense off the bench, also play important roles.
Kingwood takes on College Park in a key game Friday. The Mustangs pulled out a 49-48 win on the road in the first round, and a win this week likely clinches the playoffs.
“The good thing part about it is it’s at our place,” Huseman said.