Will Shively
Will Shively’s junior season was a statement that the Jefferson High boys’ basketball team was back — and not to be trifled with.
After entering the state tournament as one of the top seeds with a 22-0 record, the Cougars edged Cabell Midland 73-72 to sneak into the Class 4A semifinals where they found their first loss and the end of their season at the hands of Parkersburg South, 81-62. And while this season has played out much differently — the Cougars are currently 16-7 heading into the quarterfinals as the 7-seed in 4A — Shively has high hopes for his final run with Jefferson and head coach Richard “Tech” Lewis.
“We need to take it personally and play with a lot of heart,” he said. “This could be our last game together so we need to play our hearts out and leave it all on the floor.
“I just want to do whatever I can to get us a win and get us to Saturday (in the title game).”
There’s no doubt Shively is an integral part of the Cougars team. Marked as a forward with Jefferson — a 3 by my observation — and moving into a college career as a shooting guard with Hood College in Frederick, Md., Shively can do it all. He’s averaging 14.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game, built on three-way shooting and excellent court vision, but, most of all, he’s a leader among leaders. Naturally, that leads to some awkward energy, especially at the beginning of a season.
Lucky for him and his teammates, they’ve begun to gel at the right time.
“I’m proud of the way we’ve grown as a team,” Shively said. “Beginning of the season we were all immature and we goofed off way more than we do now. We have fun, but we’ve grown … we’re not messing around so much at practice. Out of practice, we’re all friends, but we need to be more focused at practice and lock in 100 percent (before the tournament).”
Air Jordan 36 ‘Paris’
Senior | Forward
Jefferson High School
14.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.4 apg
Many adults know there’s a fine line between having fun and being professional. High school athletes are the unfortunate owners of such a job, figuring out when it’s OK to loosen up or get to business, and many teams can be affected by that. Even college teams seem to struggle to walk that line. Yet, now that the quarterfinals are here, Shively feels good that things are clicking the way they should be.
With a matchup with No. 2 George Washington, a team that defeated them in the regular season and has been consistent state title contenders in recent years, Shively knows to unseat the Patriots his team must lock in and get things straight.
“We need to lock down our defense Tuesday and just play as a team,” he said. “If we get everyone firing on all cylinders we can beat them. I think we have a better team offensively and if we play together we can get them.”
The Kicks
Air Jordan 36 ‘Paris’
Mastermind / Tate Kuerbis
Release / 2021
Fun fact / One of the lightest Air Jordans ever released, according to Kuerbis
And while he’s playing, Shively will be sporting his Air Jordan 36s in the “Paris” colorway. Part of a limited release, the Paris colorway is made up of a sail, hot punch, dark concord and black color scheme, according to Sneaker Bar Detroit, offering a map of the namesake city on the upper part of the sneaker. And while he may not totally align with the colorway, Shively does love how it feels on the pine.
“I like the shoe because this is the one shoe that I felt was bouncy,” he said. “I like jumping in this shoe, it has a lot of cushion. You can feel your feet in it; you can see your feet in it.”
It helps in his current role, being a guy who needs to stretch the floor. It’s far removed from his old pair of Kyries, too.
“It was released last year and I wanted them but they were too expensive, and I already had a pair,” he said. “I got them for this year. This is the first year I’ve tried Jordans … (last year) I was in Kyries; (I) always wore Kyries.
“These have really good traction. I’m not sliding anywhere. The plate absorbs contact when I land, so it feels pretty good.”
Like many basketball players, Shively tries to emulate the man behind the sneaker, noting Michael Jordan’s defense, mindset and explosiveness at the rim as drivers to his game, despite trying to carve his own path.
“I just try to play my own game. The Will game,” he said.
And, like many others before him, don’t try to catch him in the G.O.A.T. discussion — he doesn’t buy into the LeBron James hype.
While his high school career is going to end in the next few days, regardless of the outcome, Shively is excited for what’s to come. Needless to say, his Jordan 36s will carry him through it all.
