Tuesday, Dec. 02, 2008

Falcons boys buying into team concept

Denver Holmes and Eric Avant were spectacular players for the Olathe South boys basketball team last year.

Athletic and savvy, the two combined to average close to 30 points per game and were critical in the Falcons’ 12-9 season.

But both standouts are now an afterthought for Jim Carr, who enters his second season as South’s coach with a less talented roster, but the potential for a better team.

“We jell a lot better than last year, because we’re not so dependent on just one or two guys,” said senior point guard Rustin Dowd, who averaged 10.6 points per game and inherits the mantle as the Falcons’ leader. “We definitely jell better as a team.”

With a familiarity the team didn’t have in Carr’s first season, South’s players also feel more settled and relaxed as the season approaches.

The Falcons already are light years ahead of last year’s team in terms of preparation and understanding Carr’s system and tendencies.

Still, there’s one glaring area South knows it must address if it envisions contending in the Sunflower League or at sub-state a few months from now.

“If we want to improve from where we were last year, we’ve got to be better defensively and we’ve got to make better decisions offensively,” Carr said. “But we’re certainly emphasizing defense. We feel like if we can keep most opponents at 50 points or below that we’ll be in every game.”

Led by Dowd and 3-point specialist Joe McBride, who also returns to the starting lineup at shooting guard, the Falcons are confident points will come.

“Obviously, Rustin is a great scorer,” said McBride, who averaged close to 8 points per game last season. “If we need somebody to break a team down, that’s his job, and I can hit the 3 pretty well. We’ve also got (6-foot-8 senior center) Ross (Ellrich) and (senior power forward) Ethan (Alexander) inside who will contribute, so overall I think we’ll be a lot more balanced.”

Ellrich, who transferred from Iowa midseason last year, is considerably more comfortable now that he’s had a summer and a preseason to work in South’s program, while Alexander has gotten stronger and more polished.

Junior Maquis Addison rounds out the starting five and brings athletic skills similar to Avant’s.

His brother, Marlon Addison, who is recovering from a summer knee injury, and Tyler Gatewood, a standout at defensive end for the Falcons, provide depth inside, while Ryan Lollar and Kaz Boyd, a transfer from Michigan, provide depth in the backcourt.

“We’re going to be pretty balanced, and we seem to have a good feel for each other at this point and respect each other’s ability,” Carr said.

He would like to see patience on offense in the halfcourt, but knows it’s the team’s defense that will make or break the season.

“We’re big inside and we’ve got some quick guards,” McBride said. “Overall, we’re just pretty athletic, so I expect our defense will be better.

“Hopefully, that will allow us to make it to state. We were disappointed with how the season ended last year, so we want to go farther this year and finally go somewhere as a team.”

The Falcons won’t live by talent alone anymore, and it may be precisely what they need.

“Every game will be close,” Dowd said.

“We have to play hard every game, because we’re not going to be a team of standouts. We’re going to have to outwork teams every game.”

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