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D'Amours finds scoring touch at Keene State
KEENE, N.H., 2/19/10 - Over the years, especially during its days in Division III and the Little East Conference, the Keene State College men's basketball team was never lacking for candidates willing to hoist a few jumpers at the basket.
The Owls always seemed to have a sharp shooter waiting in the wings. Chris Coates, quickly followed by Dave Stantial and Chris Timson, started a line-up lineage that has continued with Sean Sullivan, David Sontag, and, most recently, Tyler Kathan.
You can now add Derek D'Amours to that list. With Kathan concluding his KSC career last season and taking his game overseas to England, the Owls needed someone to step forward and be the teams' go-to guy.
The sophomore from Agawam, Mass., was glad to oblige. "I had an idea they were going to rely on me for more offense this season, but I wasn't expecting this type of year," said D'Amours, who leads the LEC with a 23.2 ppg. average.
"He wouldn't have it any other way," said KSC coach Rob Colbert, about D'Amours' expanded offensive role this season. "It's a personality trait that certain players have and a responsibility he doesn't shy away from. If we're in a huddle late in a game and need a basket, Derek will demand the ball. That's a quality you can't force on a player."
The lanky 6'5" forward has prospered in the Owls run-and-gun offense. Using a quick-release trigger to fire off rounds of three-point missiles or racing down the court to get an uncontested lay-up, D'Amours has led KSC in scoring in 17 of its 24 games. He made an early statement by netting a career-high 33 points in the Owls' opener against Colby-Sawyer College.
D'Amours' love for the long ball began at an early age. He and his dad, Alan, spent hours in the backyard developing his long-range arsenal. "My dad kept on pushing me back," said the left-handed shooting D'Amours. "He would tell me, ‘Sometimes it's hard to get shots near the basket.'''
As he grew, so did his range. D'Amours went on to play at Agawam High School and for a loaded AAU traveling team from the Dunbar Community Center in Springfield that included several teammates now playing Division I ball.
Starting two games into his freshman season at Agawam High, D'Amours became a 1,000-point career scorer for the Brownies and earned All-Western Mass. honors as a senior.
D'Amours' propensity for putting the ball in the basket caught the eye of Keene State coach Rob Colbert. "I went down to see him one game, and he put on a scoring exhibition," said Colbert. "He had a confidence and an ability to score that was truly remarkable." A short time later, D'Amours committed to Keene State.
Learning the tricks of the trade from Kathan, D'Amours started in 22 games as a freshman. He averaged 10.6 points and was named to the Little East All-Rookie team.
D'Amours didn't need much encouragement to pick up the Owls' offensive slack this season. "He never saw a shot he didn't like," said a smiling Colbert.
"Obviously, people are going to notice I shoot all the time," said D'Amours. "I try to get some easy buckets driving to the hoop and grabbing some offensive rebounds. I want to improve my overall game."
"If you rein him in, you take away his confidence and instinct and put something in the back of his mind to think about," said Colbert. "The overall benefits of letting him shoot outweigh the downside of some bad shots."
D'Amours' shooting ability also draws the attention of opposing defenders, who double- and triple-team him. "Teams have to focus on him defensively, and it opens up the floor for other players," said sophomore teammate Cody Snow.
While his offensive contribution can't be denied, D'Amours, a two-time Little East Player of the Week and four-time member of the Honor Roll, knows he must refine his game in the years ahead. "Derek has to look to continue to grow defensively and strength-wise," said Colbert. "We need him to develop and not be content."
Following in the footsteps of the great KSC shooters who preceded him, D'Amours will become the third Owl player to lead the league in scoring. Pleased with his season, D'Amours feels it won't be long before the team is back on top of the LEC standings as well. "Everyone has matured this season," said D'Amours. "We're still very young and still learning our roles on the team. It's going to take a lot of hard work, but I like where the team is going."
