Hoban's T.K. Griffith, Green's Mark Kinsley keep adding to boys basketball legacies

If one looks for the "good old days" of Archbishop Hoban boys basketball, the last 12 months could be it.

First state title since 1989? Check.

Jonas Nichols becomes the school's all-time leading scorer? Check.

Coach T.K. Griffith reaches the 500-win mark? Check. Griffith picked up win No. 500 on Jan. 30 when the Knights blasted Holy Name 81-52.

Griffith expressed gratitude for his alma mater as he completes his 31st year leading the Knights.

"Hoban is my life," he said. "My dad went there. My father-in-law went there. I'm happy to be at a community like Hoban where they gave me support even during years where we weren't that good. They stuck with me; I stuck with them. It's more about the Hoban family.

"I don't want to stink. It's not all about winning, but you don't want to be on the losing end of that record, either. Those losses are really important. Every time we lose, I feel like we get humbled, but we also go back to the drawing board."

Nichols said Griffith has left a huge mark on him, calling his coach his "second dad."

"I'm super excited to be part of about 90 of the games he's won," Nichols said. "One thing I've learned from him [is] it's not all about the 500 wins. It's about those 200 losses, and losses work to inspire those wins. That's the key takeaway I have from him."

If anyone knows the joys and pressures of coaching, it's Green's Mark Kinsley.

Kinsley was honored by Green earlier this season after 25 years as head coach. He also reached the 400-win mark earlier this season.

When the two veterans coaches met Tuesday at Green, the mutual respect was obvious.

"Anybody who has coached as long as he has and been successful, these guys who have won 500 or 600 games, those guys need to be celebrated," Kinsley said. "The lives of those young men and young women … they're to be commended. They've impacted a lot of lives in their day.

"There's T.K. and there's a number of coaches around our area who have done that. Those are very special human beings."

Griffith said Kinsley's success at Green might be more impressive, given the realities of public school districts.

"He's probably more valuable," Griffith said. "We've always had the good fortune of players coming to Hoban because you can take them from outside. We don't have a school district. What Mark's done with the community where you bound by your geography, it's by sheer effort and will.

"He's just a great coach. I wish I could come watch him coach practice, but we're towards the tail end now. We're vastly different people, but his way is really good. He's a great coach, and he's beat us plenty of times."

Hoban boys basketball gives coach TK Griffith win No. 501 with late rout of Green

For two-and-a-half quarters Tuesday at Green, the game looked like one would expect between teams coached by Griffith and Kinsley — physical and tight.

Then, in a flash, the Knights ran away with it.

After tying the score 38-38 midway through the third quarter, Hoban went on a 22-4 run to blow the game open. Hoban won 64-45 as Green managed only three points in the final quarter.

"I think some of our guards turned it on late," Griffith said. "I thought it was a team effort. I thought Green played their typical low-possession, grind-it-out, physicality type of game."

Hoban switched Nichols to guard Green's Jarrett Taylor — the Bulldogs' primary ballhandler in the absence of guard Antonio Martin — in the second half. The move worked, as Hoban forced 17 turnovers and Green's offensive continuity fell apart.

Nichols finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and four steals, but was down on himself after the game.

"They were scoring all over us in the first half," Nichols said. "I started off on Brady [Rollyson] and Jarrett had like 10 points in the first half. I told coach, 'Let's make an adjustment.' I roughed him up, I got a few steals, and I don't think he wanted to play after that.

"We caught him on a night where he's frustrated with his second half, but he shouldn't be," Griffith said. "He's so hard on himself. There's so many ways to help a team win other than putting the ball in the hole. He likes to put the ball in the hole, but he rebounded, he defended, his presence alone forced them to slow down with the ball."

James McCarthy led Hoban with 15 points. Rollyson scored 17 points and Taylor 14 for Green.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Basketball coaches T.K. Giffith, Mark Kinsley express mutual respect