Joe Sierra---Greensboro News & Record
HIGH POINT — The similarities between this season’s Wesleyan boys basketball team and the one that reached the NCISAA Class 3-A state championship game in 2015 are there.
Both nationally ranked.Both featuring a junior who is being recruited by the nation’s top programs. And both facing their biggest challenges from tonight’s opponent, Greensboro Day.
But the one thing that is different — significantly different — is how deepthis season’s Trojans arecompared with the 2014-15 edition that featured current Duke starter Harry Giles.Coach Keith Gatlin’s Wesleyan team can use 10 or 11 players most nights and get contributions from all of them to complement top-10 Class of 2018 recruit Jaylen Hoard.
“We’re a lot deeper than we were the last two years, especially the first year I was here,” said senior guard Brendan Austin, with the Trojans. “We still have the star power with Jaylen Hoard and Aaron Wiggins and David Caraher
and Ian Steere this year, but we have a lot more guys who can score. The defense can’t focus on one guy like they did my first year here with Harry.”
That Wesleyan team went 29-5 with all the losses to nationally ranked teams, including two to Greensboro Day — in the regular season and the state title game. As good as it was, with future Division I players Giles, Brandon Childress (Wake Forest), Jalen Johnson and Kwe Parker (both Tennessee), that Trojans team only went six deep on most nights.
“That deep bench helps us, especiallytrying to make a deep playoff run,” said senior forward David Caraher, who signed with Houston Baptist during the early period. “Having 10 or 11 guys that can play, if a man goes down it’s next man up, or if somebody doesn’t bring that energy somebody can come off the bench and play really well.”
The Trojans (22-2) know they will have to play well to win at GreensboroDay (24-3). The Bengals are just as deep as Wesleyan, although they aren’t as big. Hoard and Steere are 6 feet 8, Caraher and Wiggins are 6-6 and 6-10 DeAndre Wilkins comes off the bench for the Trojans. The only player taller than 6-5 who sees significant minutes for GDS is 6-8 sophomore reserve Michael Fowler.
“Size doesn’t really mean anything if you can’t get out and defend the ball,” Gatlin said. “Most teams spread us out and drive it because we’re so big.” That’s an approach the Bengals are likely to take tonight, but Wesleyan’s players are confident not just because of their depth but because of their team chemistry.
“As a brotherhood we’re just much more cohesive” than last season, Caraher said. “We just like being around each other, we enjoy talking about the Gospel with each other andjust enjoy being together.”
“Off the court we’re the closest team I’ve been on,” Austin added. “We hang out all the time. We had a sleep-over where the whole team stayed over at my house one night.”
The Trojans know they will need that kind of unity against a Greensboro Day team that features future Division I players of its own, including senior J.P. Moorman (Temple) and juniors John Newman and Will Dillard.
“They’re going to fight hard, that’s what they do,” Austin said of the Bengals. “They’ve been together for a
while now, and they’re going to play their game. We just have to be ready to play.”
“It’s a rivalry game,” Caraher added. “It’s going to be packed, a lot of people there. … It’s awesome, it doesn’t get any better than that. who is in his third season
HIGH POINT — The similarities between this season’s Wesleyan boys basketball team and the one that reached the NCISAA Class 3-A state championship game in 2015 are there.
Both nationally ranked.Both featuring a junior who is being recruited by the nation’s top programs. And both facing their biggest challenges from tonight’s opponent, Greensboro Day.
But the one thing that is different — significantly different — is how deepthis season’s Trojans arecompared with the 2014-15 edition that featured current Duke starter Harry Giles.Coach Keith Gatlin’s Wesleyan team can use 10 or 11 players most nights and get contributions from all of them to complement top-10 Class of 2018 recruit Jaylen Hoard.
“We’re a lot deeper than we were the last two years, especially the first year I was here,” said senior guard Brendan Austin, with the Trojans. “We still have the star power with Jaylen Hoard and Aaron Wiggins and David Caraher
and Ian Steere this year, but we have a lot more guys who can score. The defense can’t focus on one guy like they did my first year here with Harry.”
That Wesleyan team went 29-5 with all the losses to nationally ranked teams, including two to Greensboro Day — in the regular season and the state title game. As good as it was, with future Division I players Giles, Brandon Childress (Wake Forest), Jalen Johnson and Kwe Parker (both Tennessee), that Trojans team only went six deep on most nights.
“That deep bench helps us, especiallytrying to make a deep playoff run,” said senior forward David Caraher, who signed with Houston Baptist during the early period. “Having 10 or 11 guys that can play, if a man goes down it’s next man up, or if somebody doesn’t bring that energy somebody can come off the bench and play really well.”
The Trojans (22-2) know they will have to play well to win at GreensboroDay (24-3). The Bengals are just as deep as Wesleyan, although they aren’t as big. Hoard and Steere are 6 feet 8, Caraher and Wiggins are 6-6 and 6-10 DeAndre Wilkins comes off the bench for the Trojans. The only player taller than 6-5 who sees significant minutes for GDS is 6-8 sophomore reserve Michael Fowler.
“Size doesn’t really mean anything if you can’t get out and defend the ball,” Gatlin said. “Most teams spread us out and drive it because we’re so big.” That’s an approach the Bengals are likely to take tonight, but Wesleyan’s players are confident not just because of their depth but because of their team chemistry.
“As a brotherhood we’re just much more cohesive” than last season, Caraher said. “We just like being around each other, we enjoy talking about the Gospel with each other andjust enjoy being together.”
“Off the court we’re the closest team I’ve been on,” Austin added. “We hang out all the time. We had a sleep-over where the whole team stayed over at my house one night.”
The Trojans know they will need that kind of unity against a Greensboro Day team that features future Division I players of its own, including senior J.P. Moorman (Temple) and juniors John Newman and Will Dillard.
“They’re going to fight hard, that’s what they do,” Austin said of the Bengals. “They’ve been together for a
while now, and they’re going to play their game. We just have to be ready to play.”
“It’s a rivalry game,” Caraher added. “It’s going to be packed, a lot of people there. … It’s awesome, it doesn’t get any better than that. who is in his third season
