Northwestern's three big men aren't the biggest by any stretch as far as Class AAAA basketball goes.
Chris Belton is 6-foot-4, Cordarrelle Patterson 6-3 and Labris Adams 6-2.
What they are is athletic. What they bring to the table is the ability to play well together because they have learned as the season progressed where each will be on the court when situations call for one of them to make a play.
"What those guys are for this team is the same as what the Boston Celtics' big three means to them," Northwestern coach Mike Gossett said. "Without them, we would not be where we are today. We have a good support staff, but those three are the ones who have consistently put points on the board for us this year."
Where they are is further than a Northwestern team has been since Gossett arrived 15 years ago. The Trojans (18-8) are in the third round of the Class AAAA Upper State playoffs, and host Region 3-AAAA rival Clover (20-6) tonight at 7.
The winner advances to the Upper State championship game at 8:30 on Friday night at the Bi-Lo Center in Greenville, with a berth in the state championship going to the winner.
Gossett had one starter returning this year -- Adams -- after graduating one of his most talented groups of seniors last spring. He had counted on Belton starting last season, but he was inconsistent and was used off the bench.
But Belton put in a lot of work in the offseason and got some help when seniors. Patterson and Shawn Ferguson, a 6-5 post player, decided to come out for basketball for the first time.
"Cordarrelle has really made a big difference in our team, and Shawn (Ferguson) helps us off the bench," Belton said. "Cordarrelle has taken a lot of pressure off me inside, and he has freed up the wings for Labris."
Adams is a deadly southpaw shooter from either wing, especially on the right side. He can hit the 3-pointer, the mid-range jumper and can go to the basket and score.
He's a smooth shooter, has textbook form. It looks so good that his teammates call him Ride Smooth because he reminds them of a Cadillac.
Belton is called the Joker because he's always getting things going to keep his teammates loose.
And Patterson is Spectacular because he's a dunking machine and would rather go above the rim and throw one down than taking any other shot.
"Dunking is fun," Patterson said. "I like to do it because it gets everybody in the gym excited except for the other team. When I dunk, it makes me want to do it again as soon as possible.
"I never wanted to play school basketball, so I played in church leagues. But our assistant coach, Reico Barber, talked me into it this year. I had no idea it would be this fun. I'm really enjoying it."
Between them, the three big guys are averaging 38.4 of Northwestern's 54.3 points per game.
The Trojans split games with Clover in the regular season, and tonight's matchup just might be the best in the third round. And for the Trojans to win, their guards have to get the ball inside because Clover is extremely athletic and plays excellent pressure defense.
"We don't care who we play, just glad to be here,'' Gossett said. "And it's no secret at this point that we have to get our inside guys involved, for our guards to handle the ball well and make our free throws to beat Clover."
To help with the ball handling, Adams will step out and help bring it up the court. And when the team sets up on offense, he'll start at one of the wings and try to come free to get the ball.
And bet on it that he'll fire a shot or two, maybe five or six, from behind the arc.
"I've worked hard on my jumper, and I really like shooting the three" Adams said. "Coach Gossett tells me when it's open, take the shot. I try to do whatever he tells us."
Gossett is know for his patient, passing offense and prefers games to be in the 40s. Because of the players he's been dealt this season, Gossett has slightly altered that way of thinking.
"Coach lets us turn it loose a little more than in the past, but he still keeps us under control," Belton said. "What we are doing is a lot better than the slower game we played last year. But we know that whatever it takes to win, we trust what coach Gossett asks us to do."
