Josh Gormley knows what he’s good at on a basketball court, and he knows what he needs to work on. That makes him a perfect fit at Southern Maine Community College.
“Josh’s role is our designated shooter off the bench. He gives us a lift,” SMCC head coach Matt Richards said. “Josh has become one of those glue guys.”
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A graduate of Waterville Senior High School and a freshman with the Seawolves, Gormley has played in eight games, averaging four points and just over eight minutes per game.
Entering Tuesday night’s game at Unity College, SMCC was 9-1.
Gormley scored four points in SMCC’s last game, a 103-76 win over the University of Maine at Augusta. His season-high is 11 points in a 78-57 win over Holyoke Community College on Nov. 1. In that game, Gormley was 4 for 4 from the field, including 3 for 3 from 3-point range.
This season, Gormley, a 6-foot-2 guard/forward, is one of the Seawolves top 3-point shooters, making 43.8 percent (7 of 16) of his tries.
“He takes the right shot. If you take a good shot, your percentage is going to be high,” Richards said.
The first half of this rookie season has been focused on fundamentals and the little things, Gormley, an education major, said.
“In high school, I kind of got away with not boxing out, not jumping to the ball,” Gormley said.
Added Richards: “For freshmen, that first semester is almost relearning the basics of basketball. All them were the best players on their team in high school. They get here, and it’s, now I’m surrounded by guys just as fast, just as strong. That’s why relearning all that stuff is important.”
In the offseason, before he arrived on SMCC’s South Portland campus, Gormley knew he had to improve his defense.
“My biggest weakness was on ball defending,” Gormley, who has 12 steals, said. “So in the offseason, I worked really hard on my agility… I’m a talker on defense. I know where to be, and I’m telling my teammates where I am.”
Gormley’s transition from high school to college basketball was made easier because former Waterville teammate Jordan DeRosby is also on the team. A freshman, DeRosby averages 3.2 points per game.
“It’s comforting. If one of us is having a bad day, we can talk to each other,” Gormley said. “It’s comforting in that you’re with a guy who knows your game.”
Richards said Gormley was quick accept his role as a key player off the bench.
“He totally bought into that. I’ve got 18 guys who buy into it,” Richards said. “He knows the team is more important that the individual.”
Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242tlazarczyk@centralmaine.comTwitter: @TLazarczykMTM
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