A note on timing. This interview was done before Black's winning last shot in the post season tournament at Malden Catholic and before McNamara's clutch free throws to secure their quarterfinal win over New Mission. Their answers to the question below about their favorite moments during the season would surely be different were the question asked today.
Following a brilliantly successful season in which the Arlington boys basketball team compiled an 18-1 record overall, were unbeaten in the Middlesex Liberty Division and undisputed league champions, it seemed appropriate to interview team leaders, senior co-captain Colin McNamara and junior Dominic Black. The interview took place the day after their regular season ended and just before their successful appearance in a post season tournament at Malden Catholic.
They play a remarkably similar and complementary game on the court. It comes as little surprise that they tend to complete each other’s sentences off the court.
AA is Arlington Advocate asking the questions. Mac and Black provide the answers.
AA: How long have you guys been playing together?
Colin McNamara
Mac: Only 2 years. Because of our age difference we always played on different AAU teams and at Fidelity House. Then here I was on varsity as a sophomore and Dom was on JV. But we’ve built some great chemistry just in our 2 years together, though.
AA: It looks like you guys enjoy playing together?
Black: Oh yeah!
Mac: We both love to run. We have the same playing style.
AA: Your styles are so similar, you look like twins out there. What do you think?
Mac: We complement each other really well. If I bring the ball up, I’ll have the point guard on me and Dom will have the two or three guard. He’s so multi-dimensional. He can shoot over his man, post him up or take him off the dribble. Then when we switch and he brings it up, it opens opportunities for me. Creating looks for each other. We work well together.
Dominic Black
AA: Both of you guys wind up at the point, so which one of you is the point guard?
Black: Colin is. He’s been here the longest. But we both know all the plays. We both know every position. We usually want him to bring the ball up, but I have no problem doing that, too.
Mac: It’s really just based on what the defense gives us. We totally trust each other. We know each other’s game.
AA: Would you guys rather play against a man-to-man or a zone.
Black: Definitely a man-to-man. We love to take our guys off the dribble….
Mac: And we’d rather get to the rim than shoot threes. Sometimes a zone can make you settle. We like to attack…
Black: It’s what we like to do, but we’re ready for a zone, too. Most people we play against have trouble guarding us either way.
AA: Woburn tried a 2-1-2 (zone defense) against you guys and you put up 30 points in one quarter against it.
Mac: Yes, well some teams will try it just to slow us down, sometimes with half court traps or full court, but that won’t stop us from getting turnovers or defensive rebounds to get out and run. It's the transition and fast break points that generate our big quarters.
AA: Do you think other teams get tired in the second half trying to keep up with you?
Mac: We are well conditioned. The coaches make sure of that. And many of us are multi-sport athletes so we come into the season already conditioned. But I had a hamstring issue this year when the season started, so I’m really just getting into shape now.
AA: But it doesn’t look like you guys ever get tired? Give us an honest answer. Do you ever get tired on the court?
Black: Not really. I play soccer in the fall, a midfielder, so I have to go up and down the field all the time so by the time basketball starts, I’m used to it. This is even more running than soccer in my opinion, but I don’t get tired during games for some reason even though I ‘m up and down constantly.
Mac: Well, yeah, I get tired every now and then, but you’ve just got to fight through it. You can put your hands on your knees in practice, but not in the game. You can’t take any time off in a game. Even if I’m a little tired, I’m still going to play at 100%.
AA: Winchester tried a zone press on you the other night that seemed to bother you a bit. Did it?
Mac: It took us a little bit out of our groove, but we’ve got plays for everything. Sometimes we had 4 guards on the floor, and all of us can handle the press. Sometimes you get a little tentative, but we handled it. We just stay aggressive.
AA: Belmont tried to press you too and you were getting layups off of it.
Black: Yes. We knew about Belmont’s press. We had an answer for it. Honestly, we have an answer for everything. We could recognize quickly what they were doing and take advantage of it.
AA: Do you guys ever go one on one in practice?
Mac & Black together: Undecipherable response.
Black: Yeah, we play King of the Court sometimes.
Mac: We did go 2 on 2 once…We split…one game to one.
Black: Yeah. It came out even. (Smiles.)
AA: It’s the last shot of the game. You guys need a 3. Who gets the ball?
Black: Honestly, I couldn’t tell you. Early in the year, Colin might run an iso (isolation), sometimes I get an iso called...
Mac: It changes all the time. Whoever’s open gets the ball. Or whoever’s on a roll and feeling it, we’ll get the ball to them. We have plenty of options on this team.
AA: Is there a favorite moment during the season that stands out for you?
Mac: I wish I could have the missed dunk back at Lexington. (Laughs.) At Lexington was one of my best games. (Yes. He had 24…and the missed dunk.)
Black: The Lexington game here was my best moment. Felt like I was really flowing in that game. (Yes. He had 28.)
AA: Are there any players in the league that gave you a difficult time…a guy you least want to play against?
Mac: Well, we have a mind set that there’s no one in our league that can guard us. Some teams will try to take one of us out of the game, but that just opens things up for the other one. We just have to stay unselfish.
Black: It doesn’t matter who is on me. I play the same way every time. I think the best player we play against is Fitzpatrick (Liam…point guard from Winchester). He’s smart with the ball. He’s skilled. He can do most of the things a good player does. Colin did a great job on him last night. (Holding him to 11.)
AA: Going forward, you’re going to run into some real height…6’7” and over. What do you think?
Mac: We’re small. We’re a small team, but…
Black: But we play big…We’re dealing with an injury right now (to James Gascoigne one of the “big” starters). If they’re 6’6” or more, they may try to post us up. We’ll just have to play better help defense.
Mac: If we play our style, run and jump, up and down the court I believe nobody can stay with us. Nobody in division 2. I believe we have a legit shot this year. If we just keep running, get the fast break points we need, I believe nobody can stop us.
Black: I agree. I think we’re one of the top teams in the state for sure. We’ve just got to play our game. And we can play even better than we’re playing right now.
Photos courtesy of Michael Mannstadt.
