How Northwestern boys’ basketball has won 5 of its last 6 games after 0-3 start
The Northwestern Trojans have their proverbial backs to the wall as they prepare to take on the Blythewood Bengals Friday night in a Region 4-5A battle in Rock Hill.
The Trojans began the season with three straight losses. They regrouped and won five of their next six outings to improve to 5-4 on the year. A year ago, the Trojans finished 23-5 overall, won their region with a perfect 8-0 mark and advanced to the second round of playoffs.
They lost a lot of offensive and defensive production after last year’s graduation, though, including All-State player Mason Grigg.
“We had some obstacles to overcome to get ready for the season,” said Northwestern head coach John Bramlett, who is in his sixth season. “We have had to replace quality players and wait on some football players every year I have been here. The pandemic limited what we could do in the off season and the preseason. That really hurt us, but everybody is in the same situation.”
The top returning player from last year is senior guard AJ Thompson. He is the leader both on and off the floor, and he has plenty of help in both areas.
“He has a quiet demeanor, but he is a good leader,” said Bramlett. “Every leader does not have to yell and scream. He is a hard worker, and an excellent student. He leads by the example he sets, and he has been more vocal this year.”
On the floor he is the Trojans leading scorer. He has already surpassed the 1,000 point mark in his career. That makes him the third to do that in the last five years for the Trojans. However, there is more to his game than just scoring: He is a tremendous team player, Bramlett said.
“He has a very high basketball IQ,” he added. “He plays great defense, he understands how to play the game, and he is on track to reach 500 career assists. He is the ultimate team player.”
The Trojans count on quite a few other players to get things done. Seniors Matthew White, Graham Elkins, and Bryson Pugh and junior Jalen Burnett have done well this far. Newcomers Omari Bryson and Jecari Bryson, both of whom are juniors, have also contributed.
“White and Elkins can both shoot the three-pointer, and Omari Bryson has done well on offense thus far,” added Bramlett. “Pugh is a very physical player, and he is a double-digit rebounder. Burnett has done very well in rebounding as he gets about eight per game, while Jecari Bryson is showing his strength on defense.”
Northwestern’s young guns
Junior Gerell Watkins and sophomores Jayden Boyd and Will Brooks have also seen playing time for the Trojans as the season has progressed.
The Trojans capped the non-region portion of the schedule by winning the Founders Classic in Gaffney for the second year in a row. They scored wins over quality opponents in Greenville and Gaffney. That gave the Trojans some confidence heading to the rest of the season.
“Those two games really gave us a lift,” said Bramlett. “We were showing a lot of signs of getting better. Those two wins made a great impression on our team. They were beginning to sense that they could be a good team, and winning that event solidified that belief.”
Northwestern is in a new region this time around. They lost their rivalries with Fort Mill, Nation Ford and Clover. They picked up Ridge View, Blythewood and Spring Valley in the new region alignment.
“This is the toughest region in the state 5A,” said Bramlett. “Ridge View is ranked first in the state, and Blythewood is currently fourth. Spring Valley is always good, and Rock Hill is a quality team. Every team in this region plays a physical brand of basketball.”
How can Northwestern stand out? By using its speed to its advantage.
‘We are undersized so we need to keep playing well all over the floor on defense,” said Bramlett. “We need to be precise with what we do on offense, take care of the ball, and cut down on turnovers.”
Following the Blythewood contest on Friday night, they have a pair of games against both Spring Valley and Rock Hill to complete the region schedule. Also on the remaining card are a pair of games against cross town rival South Pointe and one against Lancaster.