Rincon/University basketball • senior • 6-0
● The lowdown: Timmons' quiet determination and hard work can be seen on and off the court. Since the end of region play, the soft-spoken shooting guard has continually stepped up his game, each time scoring a little more than the previous game, culminating in his final 10-point contribution in the Rangers' 4A-I state championship loss to Glendale Apollo last weekend. Off the court, Timmons works hard as well, maintaining a 3.5 GPA at academically rigorous University High School.
● Finishing second: Timmons said he is still a little disappointed about the Rangers' loss over the weekend. "I wasn't mad, because we still played a good game, but not winning, not coming through at the end just made me feel bad," he said. Timmons already knew a little something about finishing second from his experiences in the fifth and eighth grades. His teams were runners-up in the city championship as well. "We all believed we were going to get a ring this year," he said.
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● Going back in time: Timmons said if he could change something, it would be the two fourth-quarter turnovers that were committed in the championship game. On the first one, "I wish I had just taken the extra dribble and shot. But instead, I passed to a teammate and it went out of bounds."
● Looking forward: Timmons already has been accepted to Bradley University in Peoria, Ill., and to the University of Colorado, and has applied to Rice University in Houston. Timmons is interested in going out of state and gaining some independence, he said. He hopes to major in architecture or economics.
● The intensity of the game: Timmons definitely prefers watching college basketball over the NBA. "In the NBA, it's not like every game they really want to win," he said. "There's 82 games and losing one game doesn't really change their chances in the playoffs. College players are more intense and winning each game means more."
● Penalty peeve: Timmons said what he dislikes most about the NBA is the defensive three-second rule. "It really takes away from the strategy of the game and turns it into a scoring competition."
● An ideal player: A UA men's basketball follower, Timmons said he would like to play like Mustafa Shakur. "He's such a good passer and uses the floor well," said Timmons. "He's everything you want in a point guard." He added that they share a similar weakness in that sometimes they both don't play aggressively enough.
● Predicted NCAA finish for the Wildcats? "I think they'll make it to the Sweet 16."
● Keeping close: Timmons' family means a lot to him and he enjoys spending time at home with them. He has a little brother, Travis, 15, who attends Rincon and also plays basketball and a little sister, Janese. Timmons remembered helping answer all of his brother's questions about high school when he first got to Rincon and was glad he could be there for him, because he didn't have the same luxury when he started high school. "We're a lot closer than most families, I think," he said.
● Study time: Timmons is a one-sport man. "I don't enjoy another sport enough to get behind on my homework," he said. Describing University as a more focused, competitive environment, Timmons said he enjoys it because it makes him a better student and prepares him more for college.
● Playing pickup: Over his spring break, Timmons hopes to play some pickup basketball games, which he actually prefers over high school games. "It's less structured," he said. "You don't have to worry about running plays and you can take any shot you want. It's more about working on your whole game and you get better faster that way."
● Best memory: Rincon's semifinal game against Phoenix Pinnacle in the state tournament is Timmons' best memory of the year. The Rangers went into halftime with a 17-point lead, but their opponent battled back to send the game into overtime. In the end, Rincon managed to pull out a one-point win. "We played so well and showed everyone what a good team we were in the first half," Timmons said. "We played terrible in the second half but played hard enough to win."
● A series of injuries: Timmons has gone through a lot this year. The shooting guard hurt his knee, then twisted his ankle a few weeks later. He also suffered a hard hit to the mouth and split open his hand between his ring and middle fingers and had to get stitches. He also sprained his big toe against Pinnacle. "This year was tough," he said. "I got injured four or five times this year, and I've never really been injured before."
● Coming together: Timmons said the Rangers' basketball team had a rough time battling through injuries, ineligible players, missed practices and missed games, but somehow managed to come through. "Everyone at the end came together as a team and it was good enough to win second place," he said.
