By JOSHUA McKINNEY, Staff Writer
Lopez’s offense is “controlled chaos” this year, and two high-flying guards are the masters of the Lobos’ mayhem.
Senior guard Darren Gonzalez and junior point guard Julio Jimenez spearhead Lopez’s fast-paced attack this year, bringing confidence and poise to the court.
Neil Schuster, who is in the middle of his second year leading Lopez’s basketball program, says both players have grown into their roles and fully grasped the reigns of an 8-4 team looking to get better every week in order to challenge the rest of District 32-6A for a playoff spot.
“They’ve taken on much more of a leadership role this year,” Schuster said. “Last year, they were underclassmen and sat back and didn’t have as much of a leadership role. Right now, they’ve owned up to it. They’re playing at a high level. They’re making everyone else on the team accountable for what they’re doing and what their job is out there (on the court). Most importantly, they know what their role is.
“(Julio Jimenez is) a facilitator and a great defender. (Darren Gonzalez is) a great rebounder and a good scorer. He’s got to play well when we put him in isolation. I think they’ve owned up to that. Because they know their roles, they have more confidence in what they do day in and day out.”
The electric pair of guards are lighting up the scoreboards so far this season. Gonzalez leads the team by averaging 20.3 points, 2. 9 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. He’s also shooting 14 for 16 from the 3-point arc.
Jimenez is as Lopez’s main creator with his 1.1 assists per game leading the team, and he also scores 12.5 points per game.
Since both players bring plenty of offense to the table, one can pick up the production of the other having a down night.
“It’s a one-two punch,” Jimenez said. “If I’m off, he’s going to try to take over. That makes a difference.”
Both players lead but do it with a different style. Gonzalez is soft-spoken but plays with a loud style.
Because it’s his senior year, he feels he has to go harder than before not only to elevate himself but his team as well.
“Last season I wasn’t playing with confidence,” Gonzalez said. “This season, I’m attacking the basket and getting to the free-throw line.”
Jimenez is more of a talker. Schuster said Jimenez wears his heart on his sleeve, which the coach thinks helps motivate everyone else on the court.
“We lost so many guys from last year,” Jimenez said. “So somebody has to step up and be a leader.”
But the two guards both make a difference by providing the team with the swagger needed to navigate through the season, which makes this Lopez team a much different one than last season’s team.
“They always set the right example for the young kids, but when you have guys that play with the confidence that these guys play with it rubs off on everybody else,” Schuster said. “I think the rest of those kids see that those guys have confidence. Even if they’re not hitting their shots or they’re not playing great, they know that (Jimenez or Gonzalez) are going to hit them with a pass in the corner or a look on the floor in the offense. When you know you’re teammates are as good as they are but are willing to give you the ball and have confidence in you, you’re going to play at a higher level.”
Joshua McKinney covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @joshuabvherald.