Lee County’s Tyler McConnell leads by example

LEESBURG— It wasn’t all that long ago that Tyler McConnell was just a quiet freshman waiting for his opportunity to see the court. His chance came early in his first season on the Lee County High School basketball team and it is not a game he will soon forget.

The junior vividly remembers the nerves that he felt before entering his first game.

“I was terrified because I had never played varsity before,” McConnell said. “Coach (Kirven) Davis threw me out there and we ended up winning by like one point. I think I had like eight points. I couldn’t be afraid of the moment. It was going to happen eventually, so it might as well happen now.”

Lee County coach Kirven Davis has seen the steps McConnell has taken as a player.

“I’ve watched him grow from a shy ninth-grader that wasn’t even sure if he belonged,” Davis said. “Now he is a guy that exudes a quiet confidence. He does a great job for us.”

The junior has come a long way from his ninth-grade days. He is still just as quiet as he was two years ago, but he lets his actions on the court speak for itself.

Offensively, McConnell has been one of the Trojans’ best players, consistently scoring double figures and giving them an outside threat.

In the time that the guard has been at Lee County, he has seen the style of his game develop.

“Throughout the years, I’ve worked on maturing my game,” McConnell said. “I try to shoot good shots, stay aggressive and I’m always working on my defense.”

As a sophomore, McConnell was content with shooting outside shots. He has become much more aggressive this season.

“Last year, I sat in the corner and just shot the ball,” McConnell said. “This year, I have to create my own shots off the dribble and I have to find ways to get open.”

McConnell has been a key component in Lee County’s late-season turnaround. After dropping three in a row, the Trojans have won four of their last five games including Tuesday night’s victory over Lowndes where McConnell scored 11 points. The win helped the Trojans take over second-place in the Region 1-AAAAAA standings.

Basketball isn’t the only sport McConnell excels at. He is also a third baseman and pitcher on the Trojans baseball team that went 18-11 last season. Despite being soft-spoken, Davis said McConnell has developed into a good role model for the younger players.

“He brings a whole lot of leadership,” he said. “He is a very quiet leader. I think he has finally realized he is a basketball player. I’ve got to give him a lot of credit. He is a part of our foundation of this new, regeneration of the basketball program.”