A king by more than name
CBA senior says Brothers taking momentum into Class AA event
CBA senior has elevated his allaround game to new heights as he leads the team with high averages, 55 3-pointers.
There is something majestic and regal about Jordan King when he is playing basketball. He has a game that truly matches the name.
“I think I have a great first name and I like my last name, too,” King said. “I think it is a name that is considered a basketball name.”
King, a 5-foot-11 senior point guard at Christian Brothers Academy, did not receive his first name because of Michael Jordan. His game is certainly not above the rim. It is all about speed, change of direction, shooting ability, passing and a ferocious will to win.
King has elevated his allaround game to new heights as a senior as he leads the team with averages of 23.8 points and 5.6 assists per game to go along with 55 3-pointers.
“I think he has always had a very good head for the game and always understood the schemes we were working on,” CBA coach Dave Doemel said. “I think where he has developed as time has gone on is his ability to see where he can attack better and score to help the team.”
The fourth-seeded Brothers (14-5) begin pursuit of a Section II Class AA title Wednesday, playing host to No. 13 seed Guilderland (0-20) in first-round play.
King can hardly believe his three-year varsity career soon will be done. He would like to delay that process as long as possible.
“It is crazy. This season went by so fast, faster than others, actually,” King said. “We’ve got to go out with a (title), keep winning games and moving forward.”
King made sure the Brothers ended the regular-season schedule with a flourish, scoring a game-high 27 points to help the Brothers knock off Bethlehem 65-54 — handing the Suburban Council champion its first loss in 20 outings.
“Beating the No. 1 team helped a lot,” King said. “We look at our mistakes and can get even better from there. That game wasn’t perfect. We could have played better, but we were happy to get the win and it is great momentum going into the first round.”
King, a Times Union Largeschool third-team selection as a junior, said his main focus for improvements entering his senior season was to improve his ball-handling skills and become more of a leader. The senior has reeled off nine straight games scoring 20 points or more and also pumped in 36 points in a 62-54 home loss against Bethlehem.
CBA senior guard Peter O’toole admitted sometimes he can’t help but watch King break someone down off the dribble and either drive to the hoop or take a step-back jumper with the defender going in the opposite direction.
“It is easy to see how much he means to our team, but sometimes I have to chastise some of
our guys for sitting around and watching him,” Doemel said. “They get mesmerized because he can do so many different things. We’ve got to get guys moving for him and then he has to find them. When we do that, we’re a pretty good team.”
Finding that balance is the key for King and the Brothers. In the first game against Bethlehem, he did the bulk of his scoring in the first three quarters before shooting 2-for8 in the fourth quarter.
“There have been a few games along the way where I think he tried to do too much and I think he recognizes that,” Doemel said. “That is a progression in his career. Even last year, I don’t think he would have recognized that. Now he does and he has learned how to get other people involved.”
King is grateful for the tutelage he has received from Doemel, CBA’S all-time leader in career wins and a coach that has guided the Brothers to seven sectional titles and the 2010 Class AA state championship.
“Heisjustagreatguy.ihave learned so much from him,” King said. “I am going to miss him next year, but I am going to take everything he taught me to wherever I go play.”
Last week against Schenectady, King became the seventh player in program history to reach 1,000 career points.
“It was a great feeling,” King said. “I didn’t plan on it, so it means a lot to get 1,000 career points. All I want right now is to keep winning.”
“I think when he looks back
on it, making that plateau is something he is really going to feel good about,” Doemel said. “He has always wanted to have the ball in his hands when the game was on the line, whether it was a shot for himself or to set up someone else.”