JT KEITH
Artesia basketball center Clay Kincaid had to take a phone call before he could sit down to talk about his future. He was on the line with a college coach, letting him know he would not be acquiring his services.
Kincaid was breaking the news to Bulldog Nation: He is going to continue his education and basketball career at Southwestern Oklahoma State University.
Never heard of it? Not many people have. It is located in Weatherford, Oklahoma, which is 70 miles west of Oklahoma City.
But you have probably heard of Rex and Rob Ryan. Rex was the head coach of the New York Jets, and Rob was the defensive coordinator of the New Orleans Saints and currently coaches linebackers at USC. They both played their college football there.
Kincaid will trade in the orange and black for the blue and white, where he will play for Brett Weiberg, who just completed his second season. The Bulldogs finished 11-18 overall and 8-14 in the Great American Conference, an NCAA Division II league.
“Academics were a big part of my decision,” Kincaid said. “It is a good school and solid academically. As far as basketball fit is concerned, the coaches have been interested in me for a long time. I felt at home; it felt like Artesia.”
Kincaid said he attended a camp there eight years ago, and that was the start of the relationship.
He has been on varsity since his sophomore year, coming up through the ranks with Charlie Campbell IV, Jack Byers and Trent Egeland. He started his fifth game into the season, losing to Hope Christian in the quarterfinals at The Pit.
Kincaid said being on varsity helped set the tone for his development because the older players were very physical with him. He said playing against Ricky Armendariz in practice every day helped him immensely because he knew he would not face anyone that big and physical in his high school career.
Playing football since the eighth grade, including as a tackle, which also helped his footwork and physicality.
Artesia center Clay Kincaid takes a shot against Gallup during the state playoff run at the state championships in Albuquerque.
Kincaid said it meant a lot to him to win the state title because it had been 30 years (1995) since the Bulldogs had last won one.
“I think winning a state title breathed life back into the program,” Kincaid said. “I felt like the stands were fuller and the town was excited about basketball after we won the state title.”
Kincaid said he realized it is harder to go back-to-back and win state titles. But what he realized after winning and losing a state title was the experience—that he was surrounded by great people, not only great players.
He said people remain excited about basketball, even after the team lost the state championship game this year. The other players have already started coming to the open gym to get better and work on their game.
Kincaid said he received his work ethic from his mother. He said she would wake up at 5 a.m. and drive into town to work. Wanting to match that dedication, Kincaid partnered with Nic Sanchez, showing up at 6 a.m. to practice before school.
What made this basketball season so much fun for him was that the team was a tight-knit group. He had more fun and felt closer to this squad than to any other team he had been on. Everyone had a sense of humor, and they could relax and have fun.
What has made the ultimate difference in his life? For Kincaid, it is his faith in Jesus Christ.
“It definitely keeps me grounded knowing that Jesus is bigger than basketball,” Kincaid said. “There is a quote that said, ‘If you want to be happy for a week, win a state basketball championship. If you want to be happy forever, put your faith in Jesus as your Lord and Savior.’ I think that is something that keeps me levelheaded and keeps me from getting caught up in the imperfections of basketball and life, and that everything is going to be OK.”
He added, “There was no drama on our team; we just loved each other and played hard.”
As he prepares to move to Oklahoma, Kincaid said he will miss the people most about high school. It is not the biggest high school, nor does it have a Chick-fil-A in the cafeteria, but the people are so special that you feel at home.
“I will miss the culture of Artesia,” Kincaid said. “It is a classy town.”