Norwich boys’ basketball coach Tom Collier has heard the comparisons to the 1993-1994 sectional championship teams that went on to win Class B state titles. Collier’s Purple Tornado won their second straight Section IV title Saturday night against Whitney Point. While this year’s corps of purple and white-clad cagers matched the basketball program’s feat of two decades ago, Collier said any resemblance between the two groups of teams begins and ends with the twin titles.
“That was a once-in-a-lifetime group of players, and a special, special team,” Collier said of the state championship team, one that gained induction into the Norwich Athletics Hall of Fame two years ago. “They had size, speed...they had it all. We’re nothing compared to them.”
Those state championship teams averaged nearly 80 points a game one season, won games by an average of more than 20 points per game, and racked up a combined 56-2 record winning two Class B state titles and one Federation title. The 2012-2013 teams have a combined 33-10 record, a 77 percent winning percentage that is among the upper echelon of Section IV over the past two seasons. Still, the 2012 club departed the state playoffs in the first round, and who knows how far this year’s club will progress.
“What we have had the past two years is getting the most out of our players,” Collier said. “That’s been our recipe for success. We analyze our strengths and weaknesses, and try to utilize each of our players’ strengths.”
Take, for instance, junior reserve forward Storm Cook. Cook averages just over 1.5 points per game, and in some games this year, one barely noticed he was on the floor. Still, his role on any given night may decide whether or not Norwich wins. “Storm is a perfect example of what we have,” Collier said. “He led our team in rebounding Saturday, and at one time or another, guarded every position on the floor except the point guard.
“Then there is Cody (Barnes, reserve forward). He’s a big body who was banging inside with Tillotson (Adam, Whitney Point). He gave us some great minutes and helped set the tone early. Then there is Grant (Brightman), our little big guy.”
Brightman is generously listed at 6-foot tall, and plays the center position. Undersized is an understatemnt, but Brightman makes up for his “lack of altitude” with positioning, strength, and quick feet. Brightman also embodies the characteristics that one cannot quantify with statistics.
“There are some intangibles you can’t measure, like heart, effort, and the little things,” Collier said. “We break down those little things every day in practice. It’s the little things that count.”
