As he studied the traits of the teams that advance deeper into the state tournament, Whiteland boys basketball coach Matt Wadsworth noticed a common thread — almost all of them had defenses that yielded, at most, about 53 points per game.
“We’ve been close to that number, but we’ve never been exactly there,” Wadsworth said. “It’s been a big emphasis for us to get better on the defensive end.”
The Warriors allowed 59 points a night during last year’s 11-13 campaign. They gave up 69 points or more six times, three of those during an 0-5 start that really dented the team’s psyche going forward.
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Getting some victories against a tough early schedule that includes Mid-State Conference foes Plainfield and Perry Meridian as well as reigning county and sectional champ Center Grove is a high priority.
“We believe that our first five games are the toughest on our schedule,” senior Carter Crowe said. “We’ve got to go out better. You start 0-5, people start to lose confidence. You can’t have that.”
In addition to the renewed focus on tightening the defense, Whiteland hopes to find a little more punch — and balance — on the offensive end. The top two scorers from last winter are back in Brennan Neal and Crowe, but the hope is that those two won’t have to shoulder as much of the load as they did last year, when they accounted for a little more than half of the team’s points.
“I feel it’s way more balanced. I’ll probably be shooting less than I was last year,” Neal said. “We’ll just have way more opportunities for everybody to get their baskets.”
Senior Luke Helton, utilized primarily as a perimeter threat off the bench last season, is being counted on to fill more of a primary ballhandling role this winter. Junior Chase Ferguson provides a workmanlike presence down low, and the hope is that ninth-grader Max Sullivan can make an immediate impact.
Wadsworth likens Sullivan to former Warrior Michael Valle, a versatile big man who was the county player of the year two seasons ago.
“He’s got some of the same qualities that (Valle) had when he made big contributions for us,” the coach said of Sullivan.
For Whiteland to have the type of success they want, however, it’s going to take more than just one particular player. Luckily for Wadsworth, his players seem to be on board with that idea.
“We have a good all-around team that’s going to play together way more than we were last year,” Neal said. “I feel like coming together more is going to get us a better record.”
“I feel like we’re pretty well equipped to compete with anyone in our conference,” Helton added. “If we play our game, I think we’ll be good.”
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Which gym is your favorite — or least favorite — to play in, and why?
"Glenn Ray’s definitely my favorite gym to play in, because I grew up running around the top of it, watching older people play. Some of my close friends, and my brother played there before I did."
Which team not on your schedule would you most want to play?
"La Lumiere or Oak Hill. Some of the best teams in the world — it’d just be fun to see how we could compete with them."
Which player that we might not know about is likely to have a breakout season?
"I definitely think Max Sullivan. A lot of people don’t know him because he’s a freshman, but he’s a big guy that, he helps me get better in practice with post defense, stuff like that. But he’s also a really versatile player. He can pull up on the arc, he can dribble, he can handle the ball pretty well. He just does a lot of things right."
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Coach: Matt Wadsworth
Last season: 11-13, lost to Franklin in Class 4A sectional semifinal
Top returnees: Carter Crowe, Luke Helton and Brennan Neal, seniors; Nick Angerer and Chase Ferguson, juniors
Key newcomers: Isaiah Davis, senior; Brandon Stidham, junior; Ty Johnson, Kayden Welling and Logan Willoughby, sophomores; Max Sullivan, freshman
What to expect: The Warriors stumbled out of the gate and never fully recovered, but with its top two scorers back in Neal (17.9) and Crowe (11.6), a solid nucleus is in place that should help the team stay in the Mid-State Conference hunt. Helton and Ferguson both play valuable under-the-radar roles — and keep an eye on rookie Sullivan, who Wadsworth compares to former Whiteland star Michael Valle. The Warriors should almost certainly be improved; the real question is by how much.
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