photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence senior Aden Ramirez is trapped in the corner by Free State's Korbin Dowdell (5) and Brendan Barrett during the City Showdown game played at Lawrence High School on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025.

Free State guard Korbin Dowdell and Lawrence guard Aden Ramirez committed to Seward County Community College, where former Free State assistant coach Austin Downing recently became the head coach.

This won’t be the first time that Dowdell and Ramirez have played together. The two have spent time during offseasons as club basketball teammates.

Dowdell previously committed to John Wood Community College before decommitting on April 1. On April 10, Dowdell committed to Downing and Seward County.

“He’s been training me since like sixth, seventh grade,” Dowdell said. “Our families have been really close, so he’s like a close family friend, and I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to play for him at Seward.”

Downing and Dowdell spoke when Downing was an assistant coach at Barton Community College. Dowdell decided not to commit there, but the two have always maintained a close relationship. Downing told Dowdell that if he got a head coaching job, he would want Dowdell on his team.

“He’s really one of a few coaches who taught me how to be a real point guard and how to score the ball and get my teammates involved,” Dowdell said.

Ramirez never played for Downing, but in conversations with his new coach, he was sold on the vision of what he could be as a player. Aside from being stronger and having more ability to score inside, Downing told Ramirez he could become an even better 3-point shooter, which he excelled at with LHS.

“When I’m on the floor being a shooter and just knowing that guys won’t leave me open, so it will open up my teammates for opportunities to do whatever they want,” Ramirez said.

Ramirez averaged 13 points per game while shooting 38% on his 3-pointers. This came after years of Ramirez slowly getting more playing time and a bigger role with the team.

Now, his diligence and work have paid off with his college commitment. After falling in love with the sport as a young kid trying to be better than his classmates, Ramirez gets to continue his playing career in college.

“I’ve been wanting to do this for I don’t even know how long,” Ramirez said. “I’m just grateful I got the opportunity, and I’m excited to make the most of it.”

The two Lawrence kids will be about six hours from home in Liberal. It’ll be a big transition, leaving the city and life they’ve known for such a long time, but the two guards will have each other to get settled with their new team.

“It’s cool that I have someone there, and I’m not just going in blind,” Ramirez said.

Aside from playing on the same travel basketball team together, the two share a personal skills trainer. The two have been working out together since the end of the basketball season. In a few months, they’ll be training together as college teammates after having set out with this goal years ago.

“It’s fun to see your guys from fifth and sixth grade go to the same college as you and have them achieve the same goals as you,” Dowdell said.

On the court, the two understand how to play off of each other. Dowdell wants to create opportunities for Ramirez to get open so he can shoot the ball. The duo also knows how to play off each other’s energy and can hold each other accountable.

It’s an exciting future for the two who have grown up dreaming of this opportunity. For now, both are staying in the gym and working out while trying to prepare for junior college basketball.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence senior Aden Ramirez looks for options while being guarded by Free State’s Ethan Prescott on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025, during the City Showdown game played at Lawrence High School.

photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Free State’s Korbin Dowdell takes the ball up the court against Lawrence High in the City Showdown on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025.