Junior guard Kurth gets serious
DAILY FORUM FILE PHOTO
Northwest Missouri State’s Xavier Kurth goes into his shooting motion at the free throw line against Pittsburg State on Jan. 7. Kurth finished the night with 22 points and Northwest won 77-50.
With an injury to senior slasher Anthony Woods sidelining him for three games, the Northwest Missouri State University Bearcats kept rolling and maintained an unblemished record through his return at Central Missouri last Thursday.
The depth of the Cats allows them a comparably luxurious next-man-up mentality, and Cat coach Ben McCollum believes that that begins with the play of junior guard Xavier Kurth over the stretch of Woods’ recovery.
For some teams, losing a player who scores 15 points per 40 minutes played might do more than leave the machine’s cogs uncalibrated: it can completely dismantle it.
Kurth, known to those close to him as “Xav,” saw little court action since filling in for Chris Ebou-Ndow in the first few games of the season until Woods’ injury. The transition was as smooth as any teammate or fan could have hoped – Kurth started at both Central Missouri and Southwest Baptist during last weekend’s road trip, even with Woods, his roommate, again available to the Bearcats.
“He went from not playing a ton to starting and he’s done really well,” McCollum said of the former student-body president of Lafayette High. “He’s been playing within himself which is something we’ve been looking for out of him for a while. Do what you’re great at, and do that a lot, and eliminate the stuff you’re just average at. He can shoot, he can do those things, but it takes away from his offensive rebounding and his cutting ability. He’s been excellent.”
The St. Joseph native does not boast about his high school glory as St. Joseph News Press’ player of the year in 2013, nor does his keel become uneven when he represents himself as a starter for the No. 1 Div. II team in the nation.
Between dancing in front of mirrors and full participation in off-key karaoke nights, Kurth may be as free-spirited as any kid in the student body. Make no mistake, however: get him on the court and he’s trouble.
“I always have the mindset that I’m going to do what I can do, and that goes back in life,” Kurth said. “It’s kind of fed what’s going on for me right now. I think my mom’s the same way, she’s always told me that I can be goofy and I can be fun, but to know when it’s time to be serious. That’s kind of been instilled in me. Outside of basketball, it’s goofy. It’s life. In between those lines, it’s business.”
If there was any doubt that No. 21 in the green-and-white meant business, his play during his stretch as a starter proved it. In the three games during Woods’ stint in street clothes, Kurth posted a pair of double-doubles, including 15 points and 13 boards against MIAA foe Missouri Southern. He followed up with a career-high 18 points two nights later against Pitt State.
The amicability and charisma of the 6’2” guard have allowed him to not only be a staple on the court, but also on campus. Kurth has handled the attention with grace. He said that he never imagined playing for the top team in the nation, but deferred an offer Missouri Western in favor of Northwest because of the possibilities he saw.
“I knew Northwest was good, but I didn’t realize how good we could be at this point. It’s been ridiculous to be a part of this crazy ride. People are like, ‘Man, you play for Northwest? You’re Xavier Kurth, aren’t you?’ Calm down. I’m just a regular person, but it’s cool.”
He still hasn’t heard the end of the Maryville High boys’ basketball team’s victory over Lafayette for the first time since he was a grade-schooler on Jan. 3.
It’s a bittersweet feeling for Kurth after a summer training regimen with some current Spoofhounds.
“I’ve heard it from every coach there is. I walked in the other day and a fan goes, ‘Hey, Lafayette! Maryville!’ Man, I’m so tired of hearing about that. Actually, last summer, I was putting some kids through workouts. [John] Zimmerman, [Jackson] Golightly, [Spencer] Morrison. I’m not going to say I have a lot to do with them beating Lafayette, but I definitely showed them a couple of things.”
Kurth said that Maryville has become home to him, even with his native town just a 40-minute drive away. He said he immediately felt welcomed, and that Missouri Western wouldn’t have been a good fit for him.
He knew that during his senior year of high school, Western was undergoing some infrastructural changes among athletic staff. He wanted to help an already thriving Northwest basketball culture flourish.
Kurth was especially fond of McCollum’s coaching style, and he and Coach Mac are finally and totally on the same page.
McCollum said that Kurth’s path to becoming a started has been one of both tremendous refinement and improvement.
“When we recruited him, he was one of the earliest offers I’ve ever given anybody. We knew that he had a different level of energy and intensity, he does things that affect winning. When he got here, he tried to do everything else, whether it’s shooting or trying to make moves off the drive. What he does is get deflections, get rebounds, get loose balls, defend. That impacts winning more than the other stuff does.”
So far, so good, as Kurth has never lost a basketball game as a Bearcat starter.
If you see Xav around town, give him a cordial hello. He’ll be glad to pick your brain. If you see him on the court, on the other hand, he’ll be even happier to pick your pocket.
