Tahir Bey is a force.
Bey, a big man for one of the best boys basketball teams in Western Mass., Springfield Central, is a problem down low. You’d see him on a court and think he’d also belong on a turf field Friday nights under the lights — he happens to be a force there too.
The 6-foot-5 senior is averaging over 16 points per game for the Golden Eagles through eight contests on the season so far. Through the first four, Bey averaged less than 11, but the next four games have been nothing short of fun watching Bey play.
The semi-slow start for Bey’s season was a combination of a new team with transfers, and the fact that Bey had been just three weeks removed from the MIAA Division I football semifinal game, where the Golden Eagles suffered a loss to St. John’s Prep. Bill Watson, who’s both the head football and basketball coach for Central, said, “Tahir probably hadn’t touched a basketball until football ended.”
As he’s gotten more comfortable on the court, Bey’s put up 15-plus points in each of the last four games, and the Golden Eagles are 5-2 against teams in Massachusetts, and ranked the No. 2 team in Western Mass. by MassLive. In the final game of Thursday night’s slate at the Panini Hoophall Classic, Bey showed a Blake Arena crowd smothered with fans why he’s a star.
Bey dropped a career-high 31 points to go along with 13 rebounds and three blocks in a 80-78 2OT loss to Western Mass.’ No. 1 team, Pope Francis.
“As a leader, I can’t really look at what we did well too much,” Bey said. “I just think of what we could have done better, and what would’ve gotten us the win.”
Although Bey isn’t wrong, his performance had the city of Springfield on its feet.
He started the game off with a quick four points, but got into foul trouble early on, and sat for a solid amount of the second quarter. Bey’s teammate Aden Cabrera gave the Golden Eagles a 44-41 lead heading into the fourth quarter with a fadeaway jumper, as the game felt like it just started considering there were three more periods to play.
Down 50-46 early in the fourth quarter, Bey took complete control of the game. His and-one got the crowd standing up, as he flexed his muscle to the stands, and 40 seconds later cashed a reverse layup to take the lead. Zy’ere Brown sent the game into overtime at 61-all with a putback layup as time expired, and while most players would be gassed at this point, Bey prospered.
“We do a lot of conditioning practice, so it’s kind of our style to play,” Bey said. “We push the ball a lot. I know if I want to be on the court, I have to be fit and I have to be able to give what the team needs. I always tell my boys, shoot the ball — I’m gonna be down there to get it. I feel like, when I don’t get that board, or I don’t get the put back, I’m letting them down. No matter how many fouls tonight, how many slaps I take, I just have to push through for my boys.”
Down 79-75, Bey splashed a 3-pointer at the top of the key with 15 seconds to go, cutting Central’s deficit to one. They got the ball back down two, but the Golden Eagles got pass-happy, and a wing-heave didn’t fall. While the result didn’t go Bey’s way, his assistant coach Jordan Almore, who’s been with the program for six seasons and filled in for a suspended Watson, recognized the importance of Bey.
“Tahir has been playing really well these past couple games,” Almore said. “He brings a lot of toughness to our team leadership. This is his second year in the program and he knows what we want from him. He’s executed very well. Today was a great game for him, I wish we came on top for him because of the way he played.”
What also doesn’t go unnoticed is the determination and intensity Bey brings on the court. After starting the game 3-12 from the field, he made eight of his final nine shots. Bey loves to show emotion on the court, but his laid back and humble personality contrasts off the floor.
“My parents always pushed me to be a good kid,” Bey said. “But when I get in between those lines, I just feel different. Just me and my boys versus the other team.”
Bey’s body control for someone his size is impressive, including his footwork in post scenarios and even in the open floor, which he showcased with a nifty behind-the-back move in transition. His strength comes from playing football, which he’s only been at for two years. In a game on Oct. 31, against West Springfield, the tight end took a delayed screen 52 yards to the house.
“[Playing football] made me better, because now when I get hit on the basketball court it’s like a little slap on the wrist. I fight through it better now,” Bey said.
Pope Francis head coach Justin Dalessio, who’s a Springfield College alumnus, gave Bey high praise about his performance on Thursday evening.
“We talked a lot about Tahir before the game,” Dalessio said. “He’s a big strong kid, and we tried to put a body on him but the ball always finds him. He was a man. He played like Shaq tonight.”
The senior leader will look to get his team back on track when the Eagles play Christ The King at 12 p.m.on Sunday.