Dribbling down the court in only her second game of the season, freshman Jaia Wilson scanned the floor for a scoring opportunity. As Wilson saw an opening, she cut to the hoop to add to her team’s lead. Wilson was not fazed by her opponent’s experience and age as she knew her knowledge and skill set had earned her a spot on the varsity squad.
“Everyone was kind of intimidated, but I was just trying to be me and be a team player,” Wilson said. “I always have to remind myself in games of what I do in practice.”
Wilson finished the night with 25 points to help lead her team to a win over Madison, 56-40.
Wilson was a spark for the team’s offense, leading the team with an average of 13.9 points per game. Coach Robbie Lowrance noticed the young guard’s ability to play and manage the game early on in the season. Lowrance believes Wilson can improve to be one of West’s top players in years to come.
“She brought that stability that we needed,” Lowrance said. “We were missing that one player this year, and she’s that player. She can become a really great player. If she keeps improving I think she can become one of the best players in the area.”
Wilson is not the only freshman who made an impact this winter. Freshman guard Jacob Burnette and center Ian Rogers made the men’s varsity basketball team. Head Coach Billy Phillips believed both players would make an immediate impact for the team during the season. Rogers and Burnette are the first freshmen to make the men’s varsity team under Coach Phillips, who took over in 2011.
“I noticed their advanced skill level, and I knew they could help our team improve,” Phillips said. “Their ceilings are pretty much unlimited, but what they do over the next three years will determine what they will be able to do.”
Despite their younger age all three freshmen believed they were welcomed and mentored by their experienced teammates. Inviting the freshmen to hang out off the court, the upperclassmen saw improvement in the overall chemistry of the team.
Senior Dylan Buchanan observed the nerves of the freshmen lessen as the season progressed, and they became accustomed to the game. “They are really starting to pick up on things,” Buchanan said. “At the start they seemed nervous, but as the season went on, they have really grown as players.”
The freshmen did not come to West as inexperienced as one might expect, all three have already had the opportunity to showcase their talent at a higher level. Wilson has been playing with the Lady Royals club team since sixth grade, and now the team is one of the best travel teams in the area.
“When I first joined the team, we were not that great, but as we started to play together we were able to reach the level we are now,” Wilson said.
Burnette and Rogers have been playing on talented travel teams together for years and last summer were invited to play with West at scrimmages and college camps.
Last summer Rogers was invited to play with a Charlotte team that was invited to play at a national tournament and also an international tournament. Rogers averaged a double-double and his team went undefeated in both tournaments.
“Playing against some of the best in the nation really helped me out, and it really showed me what is out there,” Rogers said. “The camp I went to sent videos to all the Division I colleges, so it is definitely going to help me get recruited to play college basketball.”
The women’s basketball team finished the season in the second round of the state playoffs with a 13-12 record overall, 8-6 in conference. “It’s exciting because so many of us have played together since middle school, and we are finishing out our last season together,” senior Caroline Ward said. “We started out better this season than we have in the past, so it worked out well.”
The men’s basketball team finished the season 11-13 overall, 6-8 in conference. Junior Will Lindsey believed team chemistry was important. “We have made a lot of strides from the offseason, and I think we have really come together as a team,” Lindsey said. “We knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses, which helped us play well together.”
By Josh Conner
