'Brotherly' Combo Leads BCS Into Regional Final

Big brother and little brother never could get along.

Once again, Bradenton Christian teammates Daniel Magley, a senior, and Austin Walker, a freshman, were guarding each other last week in a three-on-three drill at BCS.

Body-checking and arm-hacking between the guards led to words, and finally to pushing.

"Dad" stepped in.

“I can't let them play against each other anymore,” BCS coach Dave Magley said. “Because they fight. Both just want to win so badly.”

Magley banned the two from guarding each other.

Yet these rivals – Magley, the Panthers' top player, and the brash-yet-humble Walker – have helped push the Panthers to the Class 1A-Region 2 final, 7 p.m. Saturday against Orlando Christian Prep (19-4) at BCS.

Bradenton Christian (19-11) defeated Seffner Christian 73-62 in Tuesday's semifinal.

To get past Seffner, big brother had to sit much of the fourth quarter with four fouls.

In his absence, the freshman hit the biggest shot of the Panthers' season. Seffner had cut a 13-point third-quarter lead to one with three minutes remaining when Walker shot a 3-pointer from the corner that bounced high off the rim before dropping in. Walker followed that with two floaters that put Panthers ahead 67-59 and out of reach of Seffner.

From the bench, Magley watched proudly. He had taught — and hacked — the freshman well.

“He's a freshman, so he tries to show he belongs with us seniors,” Magley said. “But we let him know he has to wait his turn.”

Until next season, Walker will have one nickname.

“We call him, 'Freshy,' ” Magley said.

When asked if he could soon be at the level of Magley, who averages more than 20 points per game, Walker clasped his hands behind his back and, with touch of meekness, said, “I feel like I'll be there in four years.”

Walker became senior-like Tuesday when the Panthers' season was on the line.

In Cleveland, professional sports fans have “The Drive,” “The Fumble,” “The Shot,” and “The Decision.”

At Bradenton Christian, they could have “The Roll.”

Walker's 3-pointer that bounced to the top of the backboard and fell cleanly through the net seemingly altered the fate of the Panthers' season.

In some coaching circles, such shooters' rolls are believed to be a result of ball spin.

A rapidly-spinning ball is likely to have contact with the rim that favors the ball falling through the net. For example, a ball shot with a high rate of “rounds-per-second” will have softer contact with the rim than a knuckle ball.

And so the ball either rolls in, or, as was the case with Walker's 3-pointer Tuesday, hits the back of the iron and ricochets straight up with a higher probability of falling through.

Bradenton Christian practices a ball-spin drill. Players stand a few feet in front of the rim and, with one hand, flick the ball to the rim.

“We do a lot of shooting,” coach Magley said. “We do a lot more individual drills than team work. The kids learn to play together. We don't run sets all year.”

Magley said individual skills take care of team chemistry.

“That's just how I learned to play,” Magley said.

He also learned to allow extensive contact in practices. But his leniency toward fouls was surpassed by the latest feud between Daniel Magley and Walker.

“I thought he was fouling hard, but he was playing good 'D,' ” Daniel Magley said.

Coach Magley agreed.

“(Walker) is going to be a beast,” he said.

The beast waits in the shadow of big brother.

“It's hard,” Walker said, “to stay humble.”