Recruiting Report: Kobey O’Rourke (2016)
Last year when PHD did the Player of the Week poll, one of the more frequent players nominated was Red Cloud 6-foot-3 small forward Kobey O’Rourke. Kobey returns to Red Cloud for his senior year and the team has big…
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Continue ReadingLast year when PHD did the Player of the Week poll, one of the more frequent players nominated was Red Cloud 6-foot-3 small forward Kobey O’Rourke. Kobey returns to Red Cloud for his senior year and the team has big expectations for 2015-16.
“I’m beyond excited about this season, it's constantly rolling through my mind and I just can't wait for it to be here,” Kobey said. “The biggest challenge is that we aren't very tall but I know we can work past that because that's the type of team we are, we are going to do all the things we can to win.”
O’Rouke and fellow senior Marty Richards are two of the more underrated prospects in the South Dakota 2016 class. Kobey lights up the nets with his jumpshot while Richards is more of an athletic scorer.
Red Cloud took part in several summer events highlighted by camp championships at the Black Hill State and SD School of Mines team camps. Kobey ran into an injury issue during the summer months but when he could compete his game improved. He also learned about himself watching his teammates play while his foot had him sidelined.
“We started league camps up and unfortunately I hurt my foot in my 2nd eam camp so it took me a whole month and a half to actually heal up, I tried playing on it but that didn't work out for me,” Kobey said.
“It made me really frustrated because I really wanted to be out there playing with my team and not sitting on the sidelines watching, they did very well without me so I was proud of them. Ever since I've heeled up after I've been trying to do whatever I can do till the big day comes.
“I've been working really hard and being a leader and I got some good feedback from one of the last coaches that used to coach here at Red Cloud before my coach Christian. He said it's the best he's ever seen me play and that I really improved in my shot. That helps me grow in many ways because I feel more confident in myself all around and it drives me to be better!”
The injury hurt Kobey’s chance to play in front of some of the college coaches but there are programs still interested in his ability.
“I’m hearing from Bismarck State in North Dakota, Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College (located in New Town, North Dakota), and a Tribal College in Nebraska,” Kobey said.
We think if Kobey has the year he is expected to that he could be hearing from several more programs in the near future.