South Carolina Gators headed to AAU basketball nationals again

The South Carolina Gators are in a better position than they were last year.

And coach Stan Kowalewski feels good about his team’s chances.

After beating the Central Carolina Force 71-61 for the 16U Division I AAU title this past weekend in Lexington, the Gators will look to build on their fifth-place finish in the 16U Division I AAU National Championships last year in Arkansas. This year’s nationals will be held in Louisville, Ky., from July 21-27.

“Our fifth-place finish last year gave us an automatic bid this year. The worst seed we’ll get is probably fifth, but there’s gonna be probably about 120 teams in the tournament. I think this team has a chance,” Kowalewski said. “We don’t have super height to counter because at this level, we’re going to see those 7-footers and we don’t have that. But I think we make up for it with our heart and we play hard on every possession until the end and play well together. Our biggest thing is chemistry; the kids all get along and that’s half the battle right there. If we get a good draw and have some luck, we can make a run and let the chips fall where they land.”

Kowalewski, who grew up in Syracuse, N.Y., moved to Pawleys Island four years ago from Greensboro, N.C. – where he lived for 15 years – to start the South Carolina Gators, who have a spring and summer program. He said his main focus is getting his kids attention and offers from colleges so they can take their game to the next level.

“It’s interesting. When we started, we were surprised with how much interest we got because of the lack of teams in the coastal area. But our biggest thing is getting these kids exposure; some of them are only sophomores but they’re already getting some scholarship offers,” Kowalewski said. “Seeing these kids play so well together is what draws in the college coaches and catches their eye, so to speak. It’s fun to watch; I’ve been doing this for about 20 years and we just want to get the kids max exposure and get scholarships.”

His team’s play over the weekend impressed him, and he feels if the Gators can keep it up the sky is the limit. Conway High School’s Darren Stanley and Waccamaw standout Justin Busby led the Gators in the championship, scoring 18 and 16, respectively.

“I thought they played hard and consistent over the weekend and we were able to overcome any lapses in defense or scoring droughts as the game went along,” said Kowalewski, whose team finished the weekend with a 5-0 record. “We kept a safe distance and a double-digit lead throughout the second half. We were able to build a lead and the kids did a good job of holding it and making plays when they had to.”

Stanley had a big first quarter in the championship to set the pace for South Carolina, and Busby kept things rolling.

“Darren is huge for us. In the championship, he hit three 3s in the first quarter to put some distance between us and to open the game, which we never relinquished,” Kowalewski said. “He’s been a very consistent scorer and the same goes for Justin. They both complement each other and work well together. All of our guys have that smooth chemistry and have a few turnovers. We don’t turn the ball over that much.”

Kowalewski admitted when his team won the 15U Divsion I championship last year, it wasn’t at full strength. This year was a different story.

“We didn’t have all of our kids last year,” he said. “What’s interesting is that it runs during prom season and you don’t know if you’re gonna have kids miss it due to prom because that takes priority. Last year we didn’t have as many kids and this year we came in full strength and felt like we had a good chance. I knew this team had the potential to get it done and they did a good job.”

Kowalewski preaches unselfishness to his kids frequently and said they’re good at limiting turnovers and racking up lots of assists.

“I think it’s very important that we always make the extra pass,” he said. “We always look back at the games and see how many assists are attached to the baskets and with our team, we have a lot [of assists]. These kids are unselfish and they’re not concerned with who the leading scorer is. We make sure to get the extra pass, which leads to assists under the basket. Doing that and playing well defensively, you’re gonna have a chance to be good and that’s what our kids do.”

He’s hoping they keep it up in time for the nationals, too.

“We need to keep it rolling,” he said. “And we’ll have a fighting chance.”

This story was originally published May 10, 2015 at 9:25 PM with the headline "South Carolina Gators headed to AAU basketball nationals again."