Twice on Tuesday, Nature Coast’s boys basketball team had a chance for the go-ahead score in a Nature Coast Christmas Tournament matchup against Tampa-Gaither. Each time the Sharks looked to put the ball in the hands of junior Kaine McColley. “He’s not our only option, but we definitely want the ball in his hands,” Nature Coast head coach Dave Pisarcik said. “We definitely want to get the ball to him in space. He can create his own shot. He can do a lot of things. When he’s going, we’re tough.”
The 6-foot-5 forward has emerged as one the top players on an 11-5 Sharks squad. He’s averaging 13.0 points per game, second on the team to senior guard Nick Crima (14.7). He also paces the team at 5.8 rebounds per contest. “Kaine’s a great player. He’s very high basketball IQ. He knows the game; he loves the game. Just those little things that great players have,” Pisarcik said. “He’s one of our better players. When he plays well, we definitely are tough to beat. The combination of him and Crima, if they’re clicking and they’re making shots, we’re going to be a good team.”
“We’ve been doing good,” McColley said. “In district we’re undefeated, so that’s what really matters when it comes down to it. We’ve just got to play tougher when we play physical teams.
“For me, I’ve just got to attack the basket to start the game. If shots are falling, it really helps my game go forward, and that’s when we start winning.”
McColley is a newcomer to the Sharks, having spent the past two seasons playing varsity ball at Lecanto before his family moved into Hernando County. “It’s been different because I went to school in Citrus County my whole life. They’ve embraced me here. I love playing basketball with everyone on my team,” McColley said. “They’ve had a lot of success in the past and it’s been a real program that I like to be a part of.”
“He’s definitely helped us. We’re definitely excited to have him,” Pisarcik said. “He’s definitely helped us keep our program in the district championship talk.
“He’s definitely a huge part of our plan the rest of this year and next year. He’s only going to get better, he’s only going to get stronger. He’s only getting more comfortable in our system. He’s new, so he’s got to learn some of the stuff we teach them because it’s different everywhere. But he’s going to excel. You’re going to see some good things the rest of this year and the year ahead.”
McColley is something of a basketball lifer, having taken up the game at a very young age after his father played at the college level. He started playing travel ball in first grade, and he’s played in recreational leagues, AAU and club ball ever since. It’s the only sport he plays. “I love playing basketball. I love trying to get better and being good,” McColley said. “It’s fun. It’s fun when you’re good. It’s fast-paced.”
The years of honing his skills show in his game. Though his height makes him the tallest player in the Nature Coast starting lineup, he has the ability to put the ball the floor and knock down shots from beyond the arc. “I like playing up top so I can attack the rim and get good looks and pass to my teammates. That’s when I play best, when I attack from the top,” McColley said. “I’ve always been a perimeter (player).”
That passion for the sport along with his father’s history has made playing collegiately a priority for McColley. “I’ll go anywhere. Any opportunity. … That’s been my dream since I picked up a basketball,” McColley said. “He (his father) shared the passion with me. That’s why I want to play, because I love playing it, too. Just like he did.”
Meanwhile, the Sharks will head into the stretch run of the season leading Class 5A, District 7 and hoping to earn their sixth district title in seven years, and seventh straight regional appearance. “Winning districts and just winning a few games in the playoffs would be great,” McColley said. “I feel it (Nature Coast’s past success). It’s in the gym, everywhere, the posters and whatnot. Every day in practice we know what has happened here in the past. We try to be the next team that puts a number up on the wall.”