Olympus basketball: Will Cannon profile

In late April, I interviewed Olympus center Will Cannon, who played a major role in leading the Titans to the 4A state championship game. Here is the article that will appear in the Olympus boys basketball yearbook.

Will

Cannon:

Titans’ scorer wasn’t considered a star,

but he helped brighten Oly’s season

By Bruce Smith

Matchup

                At the start of the season, Will Cannon was the unconfirmed leader of the Olympus boys basketball team.

            He was the only returning starter. He had averaged 11.4 points per game and 6.8 rebounds as a junior, but he was playing with six other good friends – seniors – and wasn’t sure of his exact role.
            “I knew that most everyone on the team could score if they wanted to,” he said.
            That was true, but so could Cannon – and he had already proven it. He didn’t want to change his game to become a bigger scorer, so he had the team adapt to him. His efforts to help his teammates’ production only solidified his status.
            Cannon ended up Oly’s top scorer (16.2 ppg) and rebounder (7.7), but he also led the team in assists (3.1) and steals (2.0).
            “Will played a huge role for us,” said coach Matt Barnes. “He played 94 feet (full court). He’s in tremendous shape. He’s deceptively quick and crafty.
            “He was the heart and soul of our team,” Barnes added. “As Will goes, we go.”
            What made Cannon special is that he also made his teammates go - and the Titans went all the way to the 4A state championship game. The 6-foot-6 lefty finished his career with 667 points and 350 rebounds, but he made a lot of good friends with his team-first attitude.
            As a senior, there were a few times when he put Olympus on his back. He had a career-high 30 points against Taylorsville and had great games in important wins over Cottonwood (the opener), Hillcrest, Murray (Senior Night) and Provo (the 4A semifinal).
            His best effort, however, might have been against 5A power Davis, and that attracted attention in the local media.
            After being saddled with foul trouble most of the game, he got off the bench in the fourth quarter with the Titans down 57-46. Parker Rawlings scored on Oly’s next possession, then it was all Cannon.
            "He was phenomenal," Barnes said. "He just turned it on. He ran and played and executed. He got to the basket and made his free throws. He played with a lot of energy and toughness."
            Cannon scored the Titans’ next 11 points, capped by a layup that gave them their first lead of the night, 62-61. Then, tied at 64, Cannon made a backdoor pass to Stuart Pace, whose layup with 1:13 to play was the game-winner.
            Cannon said his favorite games were Oly’s wins over Bountiful, Skyline and Provo. While Cannon had fine statistics in those contests, what made them memorable to him were the outstanding efforts by his teammates.
            * - Against Bountiful, Rawlings made a three-pointer at the buzzer for a 60-57 win.
            * - At Skyline, Rawlings, Nick Barney, Jake Bengtzen and Coulson Hardy lifted the Titans with their deadly three-point shooting.
            * - Against Provo, Barney and Stuart Pace joined Cannon in having big games.
            “It was a lot more than just me,” Cannon said. “I felt we all played together. We stayed focused.
            “It was fun to grow as a team and to have the experiences we did,” he added. “I don’t think anyone thought we could do as well as we did.”
            The Titans rode Cannon to one of their best seasons in school history. Cannon made the all-state team and was the Region 7 MVP. Despite his impressive statistics and accolades, he earned little recognition by college scouts.
            Barnes said that’s usually the typical Olympus basketball player.
            “They stand out here because they play as a team, and that’s how we win,” he said. “It’s an attitude, and it’s got us a lot of wins since I’ve been here.”