Cato-Meridian senior Tim Pierce averaged nearly 20 points a game this season.
Jennifer Meyers / The Citizen
Cato-Meridian's Tim Pierce was the Blue Devils' go-to guy.
Cato-Meridian's Tim Pierce was the Blue Devils' go-to guy.
And the scary thing is, he's not selfish. At times, his coach had to remind him to keep shooting.
“He's not a kid trying to go out and get 20 (points),” Blue Devils coach Ryan Brunelle said. “But sooner or later, he's going to open it up. He doesn't worry about 20-point games and you don't worry as a coach. Timmy's going to find a way to score.”
His junior year, Pierce was a role player. He was 6-foot-2, skinny and a player who Brunelle said, “wasn't strong enough to do much.”
But Pierce grew an inch or two over the offseason, strengthened up and started developing into a complete player.
Pierce has a knack for scoring. He hit six 3-pointers in a game this season, and is just as dangerous on the give-and-go.
But surprisingly enough, Pierce may have been more important to his team on the defensive end.
“He's the type of kid that will not reach,” Brunelle said.
“He plays defense with his feet. He's not extremely quick but he can stay with anybody on the floor.”
Just like his teammates, when Pierce was playing well defensively, his offense picked up.
And it picked up often.
Opposing teams would throw box-and-ones at the Blue Devils to try and slow Pierce, but he usually found a way to beat it.
“He's always cutting and replacing and moving so fast, even when you're in a box-and-one it's difficult to catch up to him,” Brunelle said.
It will be impossible for Brunelle to replace the games of Pierce and fellow senior Nate Modafferi.
The two set the tone all season, and their loss will be felt at both ends of the court.
“I've been coaching these guys since I started,” Brunelle said.“They understand the conceptsŠYou don't tell Timmy to score 20 points, he does it within the offense. We've got a strong JV team, but it's hard to replace basketball IQ.”
“He's not a kid trying to go out and get 20 (points),” Blue Devils coach Ryan Brunelle said. “But sooner or later, he's going to open it up. He doesn't worry about 20-point games and you don't worry as a coach. Timmy's going to find a way to score.”
His junior year, Pierce was a role player. He was 6-foot-2, skinny and a player who Brunelle said, “wasn't strong enough to do much.”
But Pierce grew an inch or two over the offseason, strengthened up and started developing into a complete player.
Pierce has a knack for scoring. He hit six 3-pointers in a game this season, and is just as dangerous on the give-and-go.
But surprisingly enough, Pierce may have been more important to his team on the defensive end.
“He's the type of kid that will not reach,” Brunelle said.
“He plays defense with his feet. He's not extremely quick but he can stay with anybody on the floor.”
Just like his teammates, when Pierce was playing well defensively, his offense picked up.
And it picked up often.
Opposing teams would throw box-and-ones at the Blue Devils to try and slow Pierce, but he usually found a way to beat it.
“He's always cutting and replacing and moving so fast, even when you're in a box-and-one it's difficult to catch up to him,” Brunelle said.
It will be impossible for Brunelle to replace the games of Pierce and fellow senior Nate Modafferi.
The two set the tone all season, and their loss will be felt at both ends of the court.
“I've been coaching these guys since I started,” Brunelle said.“They understand the conceptsŠYou don't tell Timmy to score 20 points, he does it within the offense. We've got a strong JV team, but it's hard to replace basketball IQ.”
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