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Balance, brotherhood leading Carmel to a big season

For most high school basketball coaches, game-planning is pretty predictable.

Most opponents are going to have one go-to guy to prepare for, a superstar that will probably require a bit of extra attention.

Then, there's usually one other player who is consistently putting up impressive numbers and can't be left unattended.

After that, it's anyone's guess where the defensive priorities should be. Most teams have at least one and maybe two other guys who are capable of putting up decent numbers. Maybe even great numbers. But they don't do so on a consistent basis.

Then there's the Carmel boys basketball team, a model of balance and versatility, and a rare breed in the high school ranks.

"It's definitely a unique experience," Carmel junior forward Johnny Roeser said. "We are very different from a lot of high school teams."

The Corsairs boast four players who average double-figures in scoring and a fifth that is at around 8 points per game. And that fertile blend has yielded a team that already has 15 wins and is on pace to becoming the second-winningest boys basketball team in school history.

Damone Williams Gray, a forward, and Roeser lead the way at 12.2 and 11.5 points per game respectively, while guards Evan Myers and Kimahri Wilson are at 10.9 and 10.5 points per game.

Carmel's fifth starter, guard Zion Kilpatrick, averages 7.5 points per game.

"I think it's very rare to have four guys averaging double-figures on the same team, especially with the way things work nowadays with outside influences and guys trying so hard to get noticed," Carmel coach Zack Ryan said. "But our guys have really bought into the concept of team basketball. They have put their egos aside for the betterment of the team.

"No one really cares who leads us in scoring, or who has the best stats, or who gets the most shots. I don't think anyone on our team averages more than 10 shots a game."

In an age of #MeFirst and #GottaGetMine, mentalities that are seemingly encouraged by the powerful AAU travel basketball machine, achieving a genuine team-first style is a challenge for any coach.

But Ryan says he's blessed with a group of players who just "get it."

"I like seeing my teammates make shots. It's good for all of us," Myers said. "We're just very unselfish and we play as a team.

"I think it's cool to know that teams can't stop us if they stop one guy. We don't need a big game from the same person each night. If we all do our part, I know we have a pretty good chance of winning every game we play."

Carmel truly has a little bit of everything, and its depth and balance present a pick-your-poison dilemma for opposing defenses.

Myers is Carmel's top 3-point shooter. He converts on more than 40 percent of his shots from downtown. He hit big shots down the stretch in a 3-point win over St. Patrick a couple weeks ago.

Williams Gray is a banger inside and showed his scoring prowess with a 29-point outburst against Grant early in the season. Meanwhile, Roeser is a big kid who can score in the paint but also stretches a defense with his ability to hit from outside. He went off for 18 points, including 7 during a crucial stretch in the fourth quarter, in a 1-point victory over Montini in December.

Wilson is a lightning quick point guard who likes to slash his way to the basket. In one of the first games of his high school career, the spunky freshman torched Waukegan, the ninth-ranked team in the state at the time, for 15 points.

Besides being a scorer, Wilson is also a passer. He facilitates the offense, and he and Kilpatrick lead the team in assists with nearly 9 per game between them.

"That's just one of my roles, trying to get guys the ball," Wilson said.

"But it's not like I'm trying to lead the team in assists or anything like that. No one on our team really cares about stats. It just kind of comes naturally."

The Corsairs are hoping that any attention that may come their way from recruiters comes the same way, through a natural curiosity most people have about good teams.

"When you're just worried about winning, you become a good team," Roeser said. "I think we all really want to make a name for Carmel in basketball. We want to win games, and be a good team.

"If we can put Carmel out there as a team that is successful, we're all going to get noticed. We're all going to share in the glory."

All five starters for Carmel would like to play college basketball, and Wilson, even though he is just a freshman, already has an offer. To Southern Illinois.

Roeser is getting small Division I interest and Williams Gray could possibly get as much football interest as basketball interest. Myers has the potential to also golf in college.

"I think they all could play in college, but it's not like they're worrying about that all the time," Ryan said. "They want to win, and they put that first. They know everything else will take care of itself. If you win, people will take notice of you individually.

"You don't have to score 20 points every game to get noticed by a recruiter. If you score 12 points, do a lot of other little things well and are on a team that wins, you're going to get noticed."

The Corsairs would love to get noticed in the state tournament, too. Their goal is to win a state championship, and they think they have enough firepower to do it.

Because of their focus on team, they also have the intangibles that become so important on a state championship run. Chemistry for the Corsairs is good.

"I think we are really close as a team. We have really good team-bonding. We do a lot with each other. We spend a lot of time together. There's not problems (like jealousies or tensions)," Wilson said. "All of that helps us on the court. It helps us win.

"I think our main goal should be to go to state. I think we can do that."

pbabcock@dailyherald.com

• Follow Patricia on Twitter: @babcockmcgraw

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