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01/25/2017 11:00 PMColin Kellaher will seize any opportunity that’s presented to him on the basketball court. This year, Colin’s go-getter attitude has helped him land a varsity spot with Guilford as a sophomore.
After getting a few varsity reps last winter, Colin pushed himself even harder during the offseason that preceded his sophomore campaign, and saw the fruits of his labor pay off when he earned the nod to play on the Indians’ varsity squad. Thus far, Colin is contributing by averaging four points and two rebounds a game for Guilford, which sports a record of 6-3.
“I just put in a lot of work in the offseason and tried to get stronger physically,” says Colin. “I always pride myself on making the hustle plays on defense because, when you do that, the offense takes care of itself.”
In evaluating his growth since joining the Indians, Colin says that he’s added a new dimension to his offensive game by developing into a danger from long range.
“I think I’m definitely a lot better shooter this year and an outside threat. In the past, I would always go to the paint, but now opponents have to respect my inside and outside game,” Colin says. “I think you have to be able to score on all three levels on the floor: in the paint, mid range, and long range.”
Colin admits that he had some questions marks as to where he would land on Guilford’s depth chart this winter. However, Colin always believed in his abilities and has gained a great deal of confidence to take into the latter half of his high school career.
“At the beginning of the year, I was unsure where I’d be. I just tried to take advantage of the opportunity. I had to prove myself,” says Colin. “Now having that varsity experience, it’s a big confidence booster going forward.”
Guilford Head Coach Jeff DeMaio says that Colin is durable on the basketball court. That’s an essential asset for anyone who competes in the SCC, which is one of the most grueling conferences in the state.
“Colin has established himself as like our eighth man at the varsity level. He is steady. He has great poise and, most of all, he’s tough. And in this league, toughness is paramount,” says DeMaio. “He also is an excellent foul shooter and mature beyond his years. We expect big things for the remainder of this year and for the years to come. I have total confidence in him when he steps on the floor in any situation.”
Colin feels that the lifelong connections among his teammates on the court have been a driving factor behind Guilford’s success this season. Still, Colin knows that the Indians need to bring a killer instinct into crunch time of their close contests in order to keep it going.
“We have good chemistry and everybody loves everyone here. We’ve all grown up playing together. It’s our goal to win on the court and practice hard every day,” says Colin, who thanks DeMaio assistant coach Jim Lamb, along with his family and Rob Mangino. “We just have to become mentally tough. Against Sheehan, we blew a late lead, so we just have to close out games, hit free throws, and not turn the ball over.”