Function follows form for PF’s Stockwell

Scott Stockwell has a shooting form perhaps only NBA veteran Reggie Miller could appreciate. It’s unorthodox. It goes against textbook fundamentals. But it works.

Instead of his shooting arm following the flight of the ball like the release of a slot machine lever, the Post Falls High standout’s right forearm extends out as if he were counting time like a referee.

“It just came natural to me,” Stockwell said. “As long as it goes straight and goes in, why change it?”

Dave Stockwell, father and Post Falls’ head coach one, said beauty is in the eye of the beholder. While the shot may look ugly, the result is what counts.

“If he was at a clinic, nobody would be taking pictures of it,” his father said. “The form isn’t textbook. But I’d be silly to try to change it.”

Another unconventional element in the form comes with the position of the left thumb on his non-release hand. The left thumb pushes softly against the basketball at release.

The form has been effective to the tune of more than 1,000 career points. A 6-foot-2 senior guard, Stockwell needed 123 points to reach the milestone coming into the season. He eclipsed it in the Trojans’ seventh game last week when he scored 24 points in an Inland Empire League win over Lakeland.

At his current pace, the three-year starter and four-year letterman could finish with about 1,300 points in 3½ seasons of varsity action.

Dave Stockwell has had a courtside vantage the whole way. He has coached his son for 10 years, dating back to his start in third grade on city recreation and AAU teams. Until this year, he has been on teams consisting mostly of players at least a year older than he.

“He’s played beyond and above his age,” Dave said. “That’s helped him develop.”

Stockwell’s assistant coaches encouraged him to assign Scott to varsity immediately as a freshman. But the father vetoed the coach because he didn’t think his son was ready initially. The coach didn’t want Trojans fans to think the son was on varsity solely because of his bloodlines.

By midseason, though, Scott was given a varsity uniform. He didn’t start any of the 12 games he played.

“I knew people would think that I had an advantage because my dad was the coach,” Scott said. “I wanted to prove that wasn’t the case.

“I remember the first game. The first thing I did was made a bad pass.”

He didn’t score the first two games.

“Then the third game, against Lakeland, I had seven points. I had an assist on a full-court pass to John Willy for the winning basket,” he said.

Soon thereafter, Scott had his breakout game before a standing-room-only crowd against Lakeland in the Prairie Pig spirit doubleheader. He scored 17 points.

“From that point on, he became a crowd favorite,” said his dad. “He proved right away that he belonged (on varsity).”

It’s been nothing but scoring since.

Stockwell also has a flair for the dramatic. Another example occurred Tuesday when he hit a 25-foot shot at the buzzer to lift the visiting Trojans past Sandpoint 65-62.

“He loves hitting the game-winning shot,” his dad said the day before in an interview. “He’s a gamer.”

Dave Stockwell takes most of the credit for his son’s athletic genes. The elder Stockwell was a three-year starter at point guard at Immaculate Heart of Mary, a parochial school in Coeur d’Alene, where he graduated in 1971. The school closed after his senior year.

Father gives the rest of the credit for his son’s citizenship and honors-level grades to his wife, Debbie.

“The biggest influence on him as a good person has been his mom,” father said. “I’ve helped his game, but she’s done most of the work.”

Stockwell, who has consistent shooting touch from as far out as the NBA 3-point line, scored 468 points while averaging 19.1 points last year, tops in the IEL. He also averaged seven rebounds and five assists.

“He’s always been known as a shooter, but what goes unnoticed a lot is he’s just as good a passer,” Dave said.

He switched from shooting guard, a position he played his first three years, to point guard this season to fill a hole. While his average is down 2.5 points per game (16.6), his assists are up (eight).

Penetrating inside the 3-point arc, especially into the key, isn’t something Scott would have been comfortable with two years ago.

“I was too much of a wuss to go inside as a freshman or sophomore,” he said.

To prepare for this year and beyond, Scott added 10 pounds by weightlifting and increased his strength 25 percent.

He knows he’ll have to get much stronger to realize his dream of playing at an NCAA Division I school. He said Washington State, Montana State and Air Force Academy along with several small four-year schools and junior colleges are showing the most interest.

West Valley coach Jamie Nilles coached an Inland Northwest elite team that included Stockwell last summer. The team played in tournaments in Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

“His best attributes are he is constantly moving, he has a quick release on his shot and he is pretty creative off the dribble,” Nilles said. “Sometimes great shooters can keep the ball in their hands too long, but he doesn’t. He also has great court vision, especially in transition.”

Nilles and Dave Stockwell believe Scott can play at the Division I level.

“He’s a coach’s kid so that’s another intangible he has in his favor,” Nilles said. “There are always spots for shooters.”

Even if the style is unorthodox.