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By Brian Pitts

Enterprise Record

Davie County now has three guys playing professional basketball.

Owen McCormack of Advance recently became No. 3; of course, the other two are Caleb Martin (Philadelphia 76ers) and Cody Martin (Charlotte Hornets).

McCormack, a smooth 6-9, 245-pounder who handles the ball like a guard, is heading overseas after signing a one-year contract with the Bristol Flyers, who play in the European North Basketball League.

“I’m not over there yet, so it’s still kind of new and doesn’t feel real yet,” he said. “I bet when I’m on the plane it definitely will sink in.”

McCormack has a permanent place in Davie lore by being the leading scorer on the winningest team in program history. The 2018-19 War Eagles went 24-3 overall and 10-0 in the CPC, reached the third round of the state playoffs and displayed the most balance you’re ever going to see. McCormack averaged 13.6 points, Michael Walton 13, Jacob Hendrix 12.5, Troy Griggs 10.5 and Brooks Johnson 8. Those five never flinched in pressure situations, going 10-0 in games decided by six points or less.

McCormack got the opportunity to play Division-I ball at Presbyterian. In his senior year for the Blue Hose, he started 30 of 32 games and averaged 7.7 points and 4.1 rebounds. He decided to use his graduate year at Lipscomb in Nashville, Tenn. McCormack helped the Bisons to 20 wins by averaging 9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists.

“I probably had my best year (at Lipscomb),” he said of the 20-12 season. “I had some really good games and started the whole year. It was a great year team-wise, it was really fun.”

“Me and Denise went to watch him play against Austin Peay,” said Mike Absher, who coached at Davie for 19 years (2002-21) “He played really good that day and I told Denise when we got in the car: ‘I’ll tell you what, he can play overseas.’ She said: ‘You think so?’ I said: ‘Oh, yeah, I do.’ I talked to Owen after their season and said: ‘What are you thinking?’ He goes: ‘Oh, I’m gonna try to do it.’ Drew (Absher, Mike’s oldest son) has three buddies from VMI who play overseas. I’m no expert at this stuff, but after watching him play at Lipscomb, I was like: ‘Man, he just keeps getting better and he can do this.’ I base that on guys that Drew played with at VMI. They got overseas contracts and I’m thinking: ‘Owen’s as good as they were. If they can get one, he can get one.’”

McCormack again: “I had some looks after (2022-23 at Presbyterian) before everyone knew I was using my fifth year. I had some agents hit me up. But this year I had a really good year and I had a bunch of agents wanting to talk to me. It’s a weird process – you just leave it in their hands and they take care of it from there. All of a sudden I was getting a call and I’m signing with a team in England.”

McCormack will fly to Bristol, England on Aug. 31.

“Our season goes from the middle of September til the playoffs in May,” he said. “This team plays in the top British league and also in an international league. So I’ll end up playing 52 games. They’re telling me over there I’ll be too small to play center, so I’m going to be mainly a stretch four. So I’m looking forward to it.”

“There are three tiers and this team (Bristol) is in the top tier,” Absher said.

What if a pro basketball opportunity hadn’t presented itself?

“I guess I’d be getting ready for a regular 9-to-5 and grunt it out like everyone else,” McCormack said. “I was about to do that, but my parents said: ‘A job doesn’t go anywhere. You can’t play basketball forever.’ So I’m going to try it out for a little bit and see how it goes.”

•••

Meanwhile, Absher, who is the all-time winningest coach for Davie boys with 245 victories, is loving life at the beach. Mike and Denise live at Sunset Beach and Mike is heading into his fourth year at Southeastern Christian Academy in Shallotte.

Absher was an assistant for Tommy Johnson for two years, but then Johnson “had to move back to Wilkes,” Absher said.

You know where this is headed – Absher was approached about taking the head job and he accepted. The 2023-24 season was a blast, the Warriors going 18-4 with Absher calling the shots.

“Yeah, I tricked ‘em and we were 18-4,” he said with a laugh. “We had a good little team, and I’m going to do it one more year. We’ve got a young (coach) and I told them: ‘Look, I’m 62. I’m not your long-term answer.’ I can give it another go, and hopefully this young guy will be able to step in next summer.”

Absher is also serving as athletic director.

“The pastor who was the AD said: ‘Mike, could you be the AD?’” he said. “This is a little private school, but this place is growing like crazy. We’ve grown from three sports to nine (since 2021).”

Mike’s younger son, Davis, is coaching varsity boys basketball in a big-time 4-A conference – at Cox Mill in Concord.

Davis, who helped Davie make the greatest playoff run ever in 2011-12 by reaching the regionals, got his head-coaching start at Ashe County. After two years in the mountains, he and his wife moved to Concord. Last year Cox Mill went 13-14 overall, 6-6 in the league and finished fourth behind Lake Norman (11-1 conference record), Hickory Ridge (9-3) and Mooresville (8-4).

“Leaky Black and Wendell Moore (who played for North Carolina and Duke, respectively, after attending Cox Mill) come into their gym,” M. Absher said. “It’s a great place, but a tough place to win. They love living there.”