The body language is different this season for Shemar Johnson and Terryonte Thomas.
There’s no question the confidence always has been there for the New Hope High School senior and sophomore, even though both are at different stages of their basketball careers.
This year, though, Johnson and Thomas are playing at a higher level, as evidenced by their performances last weekend at the 18th-annual Joe Horne Columbus Christmas Invitational.
On Friday, Johnson scored 19 of his 27 points in the second half to help New Hope rally from an 18-point deficit in the first half to beat Meridian 58-56. Thomas added 16 points in the victory.
On Saturday, Johnson, a member of The Clarion-Ledger’s Dandy Dozen team, had 21 points, while Thomas added 12 as New Hope edged Columbus 70-69.
For their accomplishments, Johnson and Thomas are The Dispatch’s Prep Players of the Week.
Last season, Johnson averaged 14.5 points and seven rebounds per game. Thomas also played a key role for the Trojans, but as a freshman he was still adjusting to the varsity level.
A year later, both are playing key roles in a starting lineup that also features seniors Demyis Mayberry and Jaylon Bardley. Mayberry hit two free throws with eight seconds remaining to help New Hope beat Columbus.
New Hope coach Drew McBrayer said New Hope (8-4) is at its best when it is playing together and involving all of its weapons. He said Johnson, a 6-foot-7, guard/forward, and Thomas, a 6-4 post player, give the Trojans a potent one-two punch that is capable of scoring inside and outside.
At 6-4, Thomas is undersized for a post player. In the summer, he actually played on the wing with the NBA Hoop Elite, an adidas 17-and-under Amateur Athletic Union basketball team out of Jackson. He said that time and the time he played with his high school teammates during the summer helped build his confidence to know he could have an even better season as a sophomore.
Thomas said the ability to play hard and with a lot of energy has been something he always has tried to do. He feels he has matured since last season and is letting the game come to him, playing harder, and taking better care of the basketball.
“I believe my success this season has come from playing this summer because it has motivated me to play harder,” Thomas said. “If you don’t play hard and play with energy, you are just out there for no reason, so that has motivated me to go harder and to score, to rebound, and to play harder. I have always wanted to be more than one-dimensional.”
McBrayer said Thomas has accomplished that goal this season. In fact, he said Thomas probably has been the Trojans’ most consistent player.
“He is a lot more confident in his game than he was last year,” McBrayer said. “Some of it comes from being a year older. A lot of times it is tough for a freshman to come in and start every game like he did last year and contribute night in and night out. I think the confidence has helped him out a lot. He is the second leading scorer on the team and is averaging more than 16 points a game. You can pretty much count on him every night bringing that offensive effort and that defensive effort. He is our leading rebounder, too. To get that out of a sophomore is pretty impressive.”
Johnson showed the ability to take a game over against Meridian. Once he hit his first jump shot, the lanky left-hander felt he was in a zone. He hit four 3-pointers to help the Trojans gain momentum to earn the improbably comeback victory.
“After that second shot, I felt like my shot was on, so I took my time and kept shooting,” Johnson said. “I am a shooter, so that is what you’re supposed to do, shoot the ball. We were down and I felt like I had to step up and make shots.”
Johnson said McBrayer has helped him understand the balance he needs to have between trying to take the game over and involving his teammates. He acknowledged he has a tendency to take bad shots, even sometimes when McBrayer is on the sidelines encouraging him to “Swing the ball.”
McBrayer said Johnson, who plays his AAU basketball with the Jackson Tigers, never has lacked for confidence, which is why he took time Friday to urge Johnson to keep shooting the ball. McBrayer didn’t vocalize those wishes because he said Monday he didn’t want to mess with Johnson’s rhythm. It’s a rhythm that carried over to the next game and caused Johnson to say Monday that those two games are the best two games he and the Trojans have played this season.
“We fought,” Johnson said. “We finished strong. We all came together as a team and knew what we had to do. Plus, coach was hollering at us in the locker room, so we didn’t want to take the ‘L,’ so we did what we had to do.”
McBrayer smiled when told Johnson admitted he sometimes takes bad shots. He said Johnson is well aware of that because when he does he gets to enjoy a court-side seat next to him on the bench. McBrayer said Johnson has matured and understands the importance of letting the game come to him and to get his teammates in their rhythm.
“What he did in the fourth quarter against Meridian on friday night was unbelievable. It was special,” McBrayer said. “In the second half against Columbus, he probably played the best half he has played all year. He rebounded the basketball, he was unselfish, he was cutting and moving through our offense, and he was getting his teammates more involved. That was great to see that come out of him.
“He has done that for the most part. There have been times when he has tried to take over a game but it didn’t work, but Friday night against Meridian it did.”
After back-to-back wins against Meridian and Columbus, Johnson said finding that balance could be harder, but he feels that is a challenge he and his teammates are ready to take on.
“We have to be physically and mentally ready,” Johnson said. “We just have to play as a team. We have to attack the rim, like coach McBrayer says, and take good shots. It is going to be hard. It is going to be real hard, but I think we can get through it.
“It is most definitely going to be hard (for him). Ever since the season started, it has been hard. Being a member of the Dandy Dozen, it has been hard, but we can get through it.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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