He’S Become Mighty Quinn From Benchwarmer To Lc’S Top Scorer
When the Border League boys basketball honors are announced, it’s a good bet that not one Lake City player will be selected to the all-league first team.
Or second team perhaps. Interesting considering that with four games left, LC finds itself in position to finish tops among Inland Empire teams, if not league champ.
LC’s top player through 16 games is one who entered the season ranked 11th on a 12-man roster. That’s as close to the end of the bench as a player cares to be.
Connor Quinn wasn’t promised much playing time. At best, Quinn, a senior, would be a role player.
Out of courtesy, though, Winger took Quinn aside and explained his place on the team. He wanted to give him an opportunity to bow out gracefully if he so desired.
“I told them (Quinn and another senior), `I really like you guys and I want you to be part of the team, but I need to be honest. You’re down a ways on the list. You can count on not playing a lot early,”’ Winger said.
Although both players accepted their lot, Quinn, a standout midfielder on LC’s State A-1 championship soccer team, briefly considered quitting basketball and playing in an indoor soccer league.
He’s glad he chose to stay. Winger is even more tickled Quinn stayed.
Quinn’s rise from benchwarmer to starter to the team’s top scorer is made-for-TV stuff.
“He’s the perfect testament to high school basketball,” Winger said. “He leaves nothing on the court, plays great defense, is a clutch player and plays to win.”
Quinn, a left-handed, 6-foot-2 wing, actually showed Winger early that his contributions-per-minutes played would be valuable. In LC’s season opener, Quinn came off the bench to score a team-high 10 points.
By the end of December, Quinn’s role and value were well established. He had become one of the first substitutes off the bench, a role he found comfortable.
An injury opened the door for Quinn’s first start. He’s started the last six games and won’t be warming a courtside seat anytime soon.
After 21- and 17-point efforts in wins over Clarkston and West Valley last weekend, Quinn leads the T-Wolves with 9.1 points per game.
“I love the kid, but if you’d told me at the start of the season that Connor would be starting and leading us in scoring, I’d have told you you were crazy,” Winger said. “It’s probably the most unique story I’ve seen on any of my teams in seven years.”
Quinn, likewise, wouldn’t have believed such a story happening.
“I didn’t expect to be doing this at the beginning of the year,” he said, smiling and bowing his head humbly - quite opposite of his aggressive on-court “mean-to-bordering-on-nasty” nature that Winger appreciates.
Quinn doesn’t think his contributions are any more important than his teammates’ efforts, though.
“We’re a well-rounded team; there’s not a selfish person,” he said.
Where Quinn thought he’d contribute most was on defense, especially in LC’s presses. He doesn’t slow down until after the whistle, not a millisecond before.
“He’s our instigator,” Winger said. “When the ball comes in, he’s all hands and feet coming at you, pressuring and hustling. It’s amazing how much ground he covers defensively.”
Quinn has averaged 15 points in the last four games since the T-Wolves turned their teamwide shooting slump around.
“I misevaluated him early because he’s a gamer,” Winger said. “I may have misjudged him, but he’s never done anything like this in his life. He had zero experience at this level.”
Winger suggests Quinn, who has a perfect 4.0 GPA, is the leading candidate for the team most valuable player honor.
“I don’t know about that,” said Quinn, the school’s student body president and one of nine valedictorians.
“I know I’ve never played this well in my life. But our team isn’t just one person,” he said. “Anybody off the bench can play, too.”
Quinn should know. That’s where he started the season.