Coming Up Colt: Freshman Fowler fuels Byrnes’ tournament title
Colt Fowler is only a freshman, but after being placed as a starter, he’s making his mark with the Runnin’ Rebels.
One might have thought it was a play they’d practiced in the driveway.
Heck, maybe it was.
With three seconds remaining in the first half against Rock Hill, Byrnes’ Will Fowler grabbed a defensive rebound and immediately looked down the court. He saw his younger brother, Colt, streaking down the floor.
Will did his best impression of a quarterback, throwing a perfectly weighted long pass to his younger brother. Colt caught it in stride and pulled up from the free-throw line just before the halftime buzzer sounded. Swish.
“I used to watch Lamelo and Lonzo Ball when I was little,” said Colt. “With plays like that, I feel like Will and I kind of look like them out there.”
Byrnes would go on to crush Rock Hill in the opening game of the McDonald’s Big Mac Shot Clock Classic, 90-52. They cruised past J.L. Mann the next day, 93-71, to advance to the tournament championship.
Colt Fowler was a huge reason why.
He consistently made smart passes and took high-percentage shots, getting into the lane and playing “High IQ” basketball, as Byrnes head coach Layne Fowler referred to it.
Believe it or not, Colt’s only 14 years old.
“Make that 15 on Friday,” said Layne, smiling after the Rebels’ win over Rock Hill. “He’s got a birthday coming up soon!”
It just so happened that Colt’s 15th birthday fell on Friday, Dec. 22 — the day of the tournament championship. The freshman came through on his big day, delivering arguably his best performance of his freshman season so far.
He had 16 points, five rebounds, and five assists to lead the Rebels to a 79-56 win over Catawba Ridge, clinching the tournament championship. Colt was named to the all-tournament team.
“I don’t think the moment’s ever too big for me,” said Colt. “I want to be out there doing this, even as a younger guy.”
“I’ve seen it with Colt since he was a little guy,” said Layne, who doubles as Colt’s dad. “He wants to win, no matter what it takes. He’s got that same competitive drive as I do.”
The Runnin’ Rebels began the season bringing Colt off the bench, but Layne decided to insert him into the starting lineup for the first time against Greer on Dec. 15. Byrnes came into Greer and handed the Jackets their first loss of the season that night.
Colt’s held a starting spot since.
“He plays the game the right way. There are things about Colt that you can’t coach,” said Layne. “He anticipates where guys are going next and knows where his teammates are going to be. In my 25 years of coaching, I’ve coached some good ones. Colt’s basketball IQ is up there with the best.”
Despite his abilities and basketball savvy, Colt admitted it was hard adjusting to varsity when the season began.
“At the beginning of the year, it didn’t feel like I was fitting in with everybody. But now it feels like I’m connecting with these guys a lot more.”
“Colt has this crazy ability to always get up and down the court,” said Byrnes senior guard Kayzzin McDowell. “It’s like his motor never stops. Everyone on the team respects that about him.”
McDowell was named to the all-tournament team alongside Colt. Will Fowler received McDonald’s Big Mac Shot Clock Classic MVP honors.
After a rough stretch of games that saw Byrnes lose three of four just before Christmas break, the Runnin’ Rebels seem to be right back on track.
“This tournament showed me a lot about this team,” said Layne. “It showed me what we can be when we’re clicking. This season, we’ve seen that if we aren’t clicking — playing good defense, rebounding, playing with energy — we’re a middle-of-the-road team.
“Still, if we bring all levels to our game, I truly believe we can contain anybody this season.”
TOURNAMENT STAT LEADERS
Will Fowler - 18.6 points per game
Kayzzin Mcdowell - 17 points per game
Colt Fowler -11.3 points per game
KJ Stephens - 8.6 points per game