ALL IOWA SPORTS AWARDS

Hoover's Henderson works more magic to earn All-Iowa coaching honor

Chris Cuellar
ccuellar@dmreg.com

Keeping Des Moines Hoover competitive is one of the toughest boys’ basketball coaching jobs in the state.

Courtney Henderson has made it look easy.

After leading the Huskies to another CIML Metro Conference title and an unlikely state tournament trip, Henderson is the Register’s 2016 boys’ basketball coach of the year.

“I really am so impressed with this group, because we expected to be tough, but we didn’t expect this,” Henderson told the Register before Hoover’s state tournament loss to six-time champion Iowa City West.

“Winning the way they have and winning the Metro again, it’s quite an accomplishment.”

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Get past the facility and resource gap for Hoover in Class 4A’s largest league, and this season’s 21-3 team still had tremendous odds to overcome to duplicate 2015 results.

The Huskies lost 66 percent of their scoring returned just two regular players — forwards Nate Lee and Douglas Wilson — to a 2016 rotation that struggled to shoot and often ran out just six bodies. And yet, they were unbeaten in-state until Feb. 16 and enjoyed one week at No. 1 in The Associated Press poll.

“I didn’t see us being No. 1 coming into this season,” Henderson said in February.

“It’s something we’ve talked about. Losing three starters from last season that were essentially the foundation of our program for the last three years, I wouldn’t have thought it would happen.”

Lee and Wilson led the way through the post, combining to average 24.8 points and 18.4 rebounds per game. Brothers Y’Vez and Kenny Quinn ran the backcourt. Y’Vez was a senior getting his first minutes as a trusted varsity starter. Kenny was a freshman, learning the CIML on the fly.

Aldreias Campbell started on the wing in his first season since moving from Waterloo East, Henderson’s alma mater. Sophomore Devonte Thedford saw time as a stopper, and freshmen Hosea Treadwell and Marcus Edwards got emergency minutes, too.

Des Moines Hoover head boys basketball coach Courtney Henderson receives the state qualifier trophy after the Huskies lost a close game to Iowa City West on Wednesday, March 9, 2016, at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

Campbell would become the top shooter for an offense that made fewer 3-pointers per game than any other team in 4A.

But Hoover has been about defense, anyway.

Henderson’s aggressive, uber-disciplined system helped the Huskies go 12-0 in Metro play again, and they allowed just 57 total points in two substate wins to qualify for the school’s 12th tournament. Three appearances have come in Henderson’s seven seasons.

Four other coaches could certainly claim coach of the year honors as 2016 champions. But in what was supposed to be a step-back year at one of the state’s toughest gigs, Henderson overachieved.

Des Moines Hoover was 44th out of 48 schools in enrollment for 4A boys’ basketball this season.