Rock Hill boys’ basketball had potential last year. Now the team is older — and better
The Rock Hill boys’ basketball team is off to an excellent start in the 2020-21 basketball season. The Bearcats sport a record of 6-2 as they head for the holiday break.
Rock Hill opened with three wins in the Milltown Classic in Fort Mill. The team then split a pair of games with crosstown rival South Pointe and toppled Nation Ford twice before losing to Elevation Prep.
Head coach Douglas Pearson is in his second year at the helm, and he is more than pleased with what his team has done in the early stages of the campaign. The leadership the returning players have shown has been remarkable, and that has been one of the keys for the excellent start, he said.
“Those players saw what we did a year ago, and they came back this year with more energy and desire,” said Pearson, whose young 2019 team showed flashes of potential before falling in the first round of the 5A state playoffs. “They know what I expect of every player, and they have set the example for the younger players and the new players.”
Rock Hill counts on three players to spearhead the offense: Donavan Brown, Luke Bracey, and Avery Armstrong are the leading scorers thus far. The Bearcats do not rely on one person for scoring as they have had four different players earn high-scorer honors in a game thus far.
Brown leads the team in scoring with just more than 14 points per game. He also leads in assists with three per contest. Bracey is averaging just less than nine points per game, while Armstrong contributes just more than six points per game. The balanced scoring attack has three other players averaging just more than five points per game.
One key to success on the offensive end of the floor is getting offensive rebounds: Miles Cross, who just signed to play football at Ohio University as a wide receiver, and Nyjavis Moore are the leaders in that department.
Rock Hill also has the luxury of going big, which is a standard lineup, or small with its offensive sets.
“We can use either one and be successful,” added Pearson. “When we go small we can use one big man and four guards, and all of them are good shooters. We also have three players who can play well at the point guard spot. We do not go small as much as last year, but it is effective when we use it.”
Bearcats’ 5A region the ‘toughest in the state’
The ‘Cats look to Bracey in addition to Wells Lesslie and Chase Gibson to collect the majority of the stray shots. Bracey leads with five rebounds per game, while Lesslie and Gibson are getting more than four per outing.
Rock Hill also averages nearly eight steals per game with Gibson, Cross and Jayden Cornwell getting more than two per game.
“Defense has been a strong point thus far this season,” said Pearson. “That is where we start. We pressure the ball and get in the passing lanes. That gives us some turnovers, and on some occasions we turn it into a transition game to score off the fast break.”
Rock Hill will play in a new region this winter. The Bearcats retained the Northwestern rivalry in the region and picked up Spring Valley, Blythewood and Ridge View.
“This region is the toughest in the state in 5A,” Pearson added. “Every team in the region is good, and there will be no room for error. It will be a battle every time we go to the floor in the region.”
Non-region games fill in the gap and provide quality competition to prepare for the region and the playoffs, even though COVID has undoubtedly limited the team’s development.
“We did not have an off season, and our preseason practice was limited,” he said. “However, our senior leadership coupled with the desire of each individual on the team has allowed us to jell quickly as a team.”
Rock Hill’s next game is at home on Jan. 5, when the team opens the region schedule against the Spring Valley Vikings.