Daylen Kountz Finds Scoring Success With UNC Bears
GREELEY, Colo. (CBS4)- Daylen Kountz has taken the Big Sky Conference by storm.
"I've just been being aggressive," says the former Denver East star and current Northern Colorado Bear who leads the Big Sky in scoring averaging 20.4 points per game.
"With Daylen, it's not just the obvious," said UNC head coach Steve Smiley. "He brings a great attitude, he's fun to be around, he's really humble, too."
Kountz, whose 20.4 PPG put him 14th in the nation, has always been a scorer. He led Class 5A in scoring during his season year at Denver East, and originally went to Colorado, but after starting just five games and averaging three points per game during his second season he decided to search for greener pastures in Greeley.
"Coming to Greeley was a better opportunity. Colorado is a great program, but I wanted a better opportunity to showcase what I can do," said Kountz.
One of the first calls that Kountz received after entering the transfer portal was from a familiar face in Smiley, who had recruited Kountz when he was an assistant at UNC.
"I called him right away. I recruited Daylen in high school. I recruited him really hard, and I think that paid off. We had a real relationship. I knew his dad, and I knew his family," recalled Smiley.
"We had a relationship before, and now, I already know him, it's been good creating a strong relationship with coach Smiley," said Kountz.
The Bears have two games left to play in the regular season, and then will try to punch their ticket to the NCAA tournament by winning the Big Sky tournament, something no UNC team has done since 2011.
"That would be amazing to do that. I think we have a good chance to do that this year. We have to take it day-by-day, but if we do that we have a good chance to do that," said Kountz.
"I think the league is great. There are five or six teams that could legitimately win this thing," added Smiley.
"If we could find a way to get it done, that would be great. I hope we can find a way to make a run in the tournament."
