Boys basketball: Smith returns four starters, set sights on District 10-4A title

Newman Smith's boys basketball team kicked off its District 10-4A campaign on a positive note Dec. 21 when the Trojans cruised past Terrell, 85-52.

Stephen Spurlock led the team with 19 points, while Deondre Burns and Camryn Cole followed with 14 and 12 points, respectively.

"We were hungry to go out there and start district strong," said Percy Johnson, Newman Smith head coach. "We really jumped out on them quick and were able to get out in transition and get some easy buckets. The pace to the game was very fast and we were able to dictate it because of our defense."

Smith also benefitted from facing one-on-one opportunities.

"We're doing a better job now, but we've had some issues scoring when teams have gone to a zone defense," Johnson said. "But Terrell was primarily playing man-to-man."

The win improved Smith to 9-6 on the season entering the holiday break, where the Trojans competed at the Tommy Thomas Cougar Classic hosted by The Colony (results not available as of press time).

"It's been a slow process, but we're starting to put it together," Johnson said. "The kids are really executing and I've liked the way we are playing to start the year."

Johnson was especially pleased given Smith has played just two home games thus far.

"The kids fought through playing 13 in a row on the road to start," he said. "I think that is really in our favor now and we've seen the team pull together and bond during those trips. We have good chemistry and have figured out how to play in tough environments."

Another reason for Smith's solid start is the presence of key players from last year's team.

The Trojans bring back six varsity players, including starters in senior guard-forward Walter Rickett III, senior forward Cole, junior guard Darion Brown and senior guard-forward Spurlock.

"We have five seniors and the rest are juniors or sophomores," Johnson said. "And we have some good depth, but that is where our inexperience is."

Early on, Spurlock has paced the Smith offense, including games of 24, 26 and 30 points.

"He's kind of leveled off a bit lately with some other guys stepping up," Johnson said. "He's still in that 15-17 points per game range, but other guys like Walter have been picking up their scoring.

"Walter took a little time to get acclimated from football but he is hitting his stride now and is finding his place."

Both Spurlock and Rickett, as well as Cole, give Smith diversity as all three have the ability to score in post and knock down jumpers. Juniors Sherman Parker and Davonte Galbert also chip in down low and provide additional size.

"Camryn can get up-and-down," Johnson said. "We run a lot of secondary sets to get the ball on the wing and as the play transpires we can work it down for some easier shots."

If the post is covered, Brown gives Smith a dynamic shooting option from the perimeter. The rest of the Trojan guards include sophomore Anthony Grayson, senior Brandon Toney and junior Ben Higginbotham.

"Darion has been our primary point guard and has done a great job of leading us," Johnson said. "He's grown a lot and gets the ball to people in the right place. And defensively he is making smart choices and has avoided some of the foul trouble he got in last year.

"Grayson is the backup and Camryn can even play a little point too. He has the ability to grab the rebound and find the outlet or start the break on his own. Sometimes we even have to encourage him to take it himself because he can be so unselfish."

Another key addition has been Deondre Burns, a sophomore move-in guard-forward from Mississippi.

"He's played big minutes early and has a great understanding of the game for his age," Johnson said. "He's an offensive player with a high basketball IQ that can shoot the ball. I think he is a player we can eventually build around. He is very talented."

Rounding out the forwards are junior Nicholas Shankle and senior Dareon Hill.

"We've had some guys who have shot it well, but the team as a whole hasn't had the lights out game that I know we can. We had some times during the summer when we were really shooting and I know that time is still coming."

While Smith's transition game has been solid, the Trojans are still seeking improvements in their half court sets on both sides of the ball.

"We need to get better in our rotations on defense," Johnson said. "In the half court last year, we gave up a lot of easy baskets. But this year the kids are understanding how important that is, especially with how teams are trying to slow down the game against us. We're making progress, but we still have work to do.

"We also can't use our lack of height as an excuse for not rebounding. We need to get the board so we can get out in transition. The kids have been doing a better job of boxing out and limiting second-chance points."

Offensively, taking care of the ball has led to and improvement, but there is still room to grow.

"We've seen flashes of how good we can be in the half court," Johnson said. "I think that's due to the patience and the maturity of our guards. We're doing a better job of running our sets."

If Smith continues to progress, they could be in the hunt for the 10-4A title. But standing in the way are the likes of West Mesquite, Highland Park and Creekview, among others.

"You have to take it one game at a time and for us we've actually broken it down to just winning each quarter," Smith said. "We want to be the district champs, though. To do that, we have to have great communication and get better each game. Right now, I feel like we're starting to peak at the right time."

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