Staying (Mc)Cool under pressure

BE’s Aidan McCool reaches 1,000 point milestone

Bishop England High School basketball standout Aidan McCool scored his 1,000th career point in a rare loss to Georgetown on Feb. 7.

But McCool didn’t have reason to celebrate until four days later when the Battling Bishops edged Manning 60-56 for an impressive road victory.

That gave the Bishops a 24-2 record and, more importantly, the Region 8-AAA championship.

“I play to win,” said McCool, a three-year starter who has been a model of consistency for coach Bryan Grevey’s squad. “Those personal goals are fine. But what’s important is winning the region championship. I wasn’t even sure if I was close to 1,000 points.”

It’s been a memorable season for the Bishops and McCool has had a major role. In the game where he reached his memorable milestone, McCool tallied 17 points and 12 rebounds. He scored his 1,000th career point with a free throw with just under 6 minutes left in the game.

Free throws were critical in the Bishops’ victory over Manning that gave them the league championship. McCool and Patrick Antonelli combined for eight free throws in a hectic fourth period to give the Bishops a 4-point victory.

“Aidan’s been a really consistent player for us,” Grevey said. “He’s been on varsity for three years and has scored a lot of big baskets. He’s a real consistent foul shooter, and he doesn’t take bad shots. He takes what the defense gives him.”

Coach Grevey added, “He’s very team oriented, and he knows the other players look for him to make big plays, and they look for his leadership. He does it so effortlessly.”

McCool showed promise early as a sophomore as he helped the Bishops to a 13-10 record, including 7-1 in league play. He played in 20 games, and hit 41% from the 3-point line, while hitting 73% from the field. He averaged 15.8 points and 4.1 rebounds per game.

Last season, McCool averaged 13 points as the Bishops posted a 14-12 record.

This season, he’s had a big role on a team that has many offensive weapons. He’s hit 46% on his 2-point attempts, and has canned 58 of 144 from 3-point land. He’s averaging 15.2 points and 5.6 rebounds for the Bishops, who were scheduled to host Loris on Feb. 18 in the first round of the Class AAA playoffs.

The Bishops are 24-2 because they have talent, a good coach and are a close-knit team.

“We’re a family,” McCool said. “We play for each other; that’s the key. There are no egos on this team. We go out and have fun, and Coach Grevey does a great job.”

He said the team’s 20-0 record to start the season is a big accomplishment.

“I am proud of what we have done,” McCool said. “To be 20-0 to begin the season is impressive. But we have a lot more to accomplish.”

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