Turner likes the work, on and off the court, and the fishing isn't too bad, either

By Rex Kirts

The common knowledge is that Spencer Turner is one hard-working dude with a basketball. The same formula helps him to an A average in the classroom.
Did you know there's a lot of fish in Lake Monroe who wish he'd spend even more time with the ball and the books?
"My biggest hobby is definitely fishing with my dad (Scott) and my brother (Keaton),"Turner said. "If I'm not playing basketball you'll find me

at the lake catching fish if it's above 55 degrees." Those poor fish.

Spencer Turner

Turner probably attacks them like he does his 3-point shooting, which his

relentlessly.
South coach J.R. Holmes said Turner was one of the two best long-range shooters in town when he was in middle school, the other being Jordy Hulls when Hulls was a sophomore at South.

TURNER'S EARLY POTENTIAL was realized at South when he shot 46 per cent on 3s during last year's unbeaten state championship run.
Hulls and Turner were joined at the hip at South last year, always shooting basketballs. They'd come to the gym before school in the morning and stay late after practice, launching 3s and making swishing sounds along with the squeak of tennis shoes.
Hulls is gone to IU, but Turner isn't alone. "There's still guys who stay after and work with me," he said. "There's still a lot of kids who want to work and improve in a lot of areas."
And there's always his father to lend a hand.
"My dad is my best friend," Turner said. "Never has he not rebounded for me when I wanted to shoot. He loves to criticize me, but it's always constructive criticism - my shot, my ball handling, my defense."
Even though his sophomore season was outstanding, Turner saw a need to make adjustments to his shooting. It's been a long process and at times difficult, but he feels he's getting to where he wants to be.
"RIGHT AFTER AAU last spring I had about two weeks before open gym - I rarely take any me off," he explained. "There were two things I needed to do to make my shot quicker. I would bring the ball down below my waist, and I wanted to keep it high. The second thing I needed to do was take my left thumb out of the shot - I was kind of pushing the ball with it like a lot of guys do."
It took him a month or a month and a half to get used to the new form.
"The first week was just brutal,"Turner said. "I was shooting air balls. My dad and I were putting in multiple hours, and after about two months the shot became fluid and felt really good."
It should be mentioned that his father knows more than a little about shooting a basketball. He's the second all-time leading scorer in Lawrence County history behind Damon Bailey, the state's all-time leading scorer.
The new shooting didn't translate into big points once this season began. Spencer started out 1 for 11 on 3s. He's up to 36 per cent currently.
"I was in a slump, but it's (the new shot) is helping now. I'm starting to come along. In the long run it's been good, but for a month it was really tough to change.
"Hard work always pays off. I love working hard."
TURNER STRUGGLED with more than just his shooting at the start of this year. He was trying to be a little fancy with the ball and doing other things that aren't his strong suits. He's best when he lets the game come to him. Holmes let him know this.
"He wanted me to be myself," Turner said. "He didn't want me to be a player I couldn't be. I'm a shooter, and he wanted me to be a shooter. He told me I have to be Spencer Turner, and not do things like try to dribble between three or four guys.
"He said don't worry about what other people can or can't do. He told me to keep shooting the ball. He had faith in me, and I got a lot of confidence just from him telling me that.
"J.R. wants every single kid to get better. He loves all of us out there."
In addition to his shot, Turner has worked a lot in other areas since last year. He's put about 15 pounds, much of it muscle through the weight program run by assistant coach Criss Beyers. And Jeff Watkinson at IU helped with his strength, too.
THE PANTHERS are 16-0 and ranked No. 1 in class 4A in the state. They have won 42 straight games, 26 last year and 16 this year. Turner is the fourth-leading scorer on the team with a 10.8 average.
"I don't think there's another 4A team in the state that's 16-0," he said. "We're getting a heck of a lot better playing as a team. The talent is there. Everyone is buying into the team."
The Panthers' next game is Saturday afternoon (2:30) at Warren Central.

Panthers win 3rd straight CI championship

By Rex Kirts

Historically speaking, these are the gold ol' times for South's basketball team.
The Panthers have won 42 straight games, the third longest streak in Indiana high school history behind the 50 of Lawrence North in 2005-06 and the 45 of Indianapolis Crispus Attucks of 1955-56.
Coach J.R. Holmes' team won at Columbus North, 67-49, Saturday for their 23rd straight victory in Conference Indiana. It won them at least a share of their third straight CI championship. They can win it outright by beating Perry Meridian on Feb. 19 at South.
The Feb. 19 game, by the way, is the reunion game of Panthers who played for Holmes during four straight years from 1983-86. At this time 13 playeres have indicated they will attend. They will be introduced at the game and attend a reception afterward.
HOLMES AND the players want a win that night because they want the conference title by themselves.
"We're not playing for a tie," Holmes said. Still in the hunt for at least a share are Pike and Bloomington North, and they play Monday at Pike.
"Our goal every year is to be undefeated in the conference," said junior wingman Spencer Turner.
Dee Davis led the Panthers with 19 points and several assists and steals against Columbus. Turner was the only other one in double figures with 17.
South played well the first half, leading 41-23. The lead shot up to 23 points midway through the third quarter, but Columbus (10-4) got hot and cut the lead to 10 early in the fourth quarter. Fast breaks led by Davis and Matt Carlino pushed the lead up to 14, and the Panthers controlled the action the rest of the way.
"THEY MADE A GREAT RUN on us," Turner said. "Every single one of them can shoot, but we hit some good shots tonight."
Turner was a bit under the weather, as was Carlino.
"I was a little sick," Carlino said. "But we held them off. They have some good players. They were attacking us early."
The Panthers got good bench help from who had nine points (7-8 at the line) and Ben Whitlatch, who scored seven.
Columbus collapsedon Erik Fromm and held him to six points, but he had 12 rebounds. Carlino scored just six but also had 12 rebounds.
"THERE'S OTHER THINGS you can do when you're not scoring," Holmes said.
South fast-breaked as much as it has all season.
"We want to run," Holmes said. "That's one of our advantages. I thought we have been a little slow bringing the ball down the floor."
The Panthers' next game is Saturday afternoon at Warren Central. The varsity start will be at 2:30.

Football applications coming in

By Rex Kirts

PANTHER NOTES:
APPLICATIONS are still coming in for the head football coaching position. The posting for the job became official Wednesday with the resignation of Drew Wood from his teaching-coaching-athletic director job. The new coach will probably be someone who can teach P.E. Current assistant head coach/defensive coordinator Dean Walendzak has applied, and if he gets the job then a new P.E. teacher will be needed to take Wood's teaching position.
ONE OF THE THINGS Wood wanted to start if he had remained coach was bingo to raise money for the program. A gaming license is needed, and there is no movement in that direction now.

Davis likes the gym, full or empty

By Rex Kirts

Dee Davis spends a lot of time in gyms, and he likes it there if it's full of rowdy fans or nearly empty so he can concentrate on practice.
All that time doesn't, of course, explain all those extraordinary shake-and-bake moves on his way to the basket. Those are to be enjoyed, but they're simply not explainable, by him or anyone else. They're just reactions.
The Panther junior point guard concentrates on academics and

basketball, and he's doing well in both. The last report card showed four

Dee Davis

As and a B, and his basketball stat sheet is just as impressive.

Can you believe that in the last nine games the 5-11, 165-pounder had committed only two turnovers while making 39 assists? That's what is meant by impressive.
SO IS SHOOTING 55 per cent from the field and 74 per cent at the free throw line and leading the team in scoring with a 16.8 average. He's a pest on defense, also, with a team-leading 32 steals.
"Dee is quick, deceptive and has a scoring mentality," coach J.R. Holmes said. "He's very, very good with the ball as far as his assist to turnover ratio.
South has been blessed in recent years with playeres who spend a lot of time on basketball. Jordy Hulls and Spencer Turner came along to set the tone, and guys like Davis, Erik Fromm and Matt Carlino from this year's starting unit continue the trend.
Davis sometimes slips into the gym late at night with his father, Darwin Sr., to shoot around. He shoots on weekends, too, with his dad and North's Julian Boatner at the IU's HPER facility.
Occasionally when he shoots at South in the evenings, "The custodians lock the door and tell me to shut it when I leave."
Sundays is a double workout day. "After shooting I go with my dad to where he coaches baseball, out by the Starlight drive-in, and work on my legs," Davis said.
MAYBE THAT LEG workout is a big factor in his ability to take the ball to the basket with such a quick burst.
Nobody Holmes has ever coached can penetrate like Davis. "He's little," Holmes grinned. "They (the defense) lose him. And he can get his shot off with his right hand, his left hand, with spins and hooks." The end result is often pure pizzazz.
One of the things Davis likes about basketball is playing in front of big crowds, which South has done a lot of the last two seasons.
"I like playing in front of the fans," he said. "I like clutch time. It's entertainment for the fans who pay money."
Big games are extra special. "You always like to see how you can do against the best players," he said. "Like Marquis Teague. He's supposed to be the No. 1 guard in the country. I know Matt (Carlino) is fired up about playing the game, too."
Pike comes to South Friday night in a matchup of the only teams left without a loss in Conference Indiana. Davis started out on Teague last year, and Teague was a handful. The Panthers switched to a zone defense to slow him and the rest of the team down and come out with a win.
THAT WIN WAS one of 21 straight the Panthers currently own in the conference. They are 14-0 this year and have won 40 straight over two seasons, which ties them with the 1984-86 Marion team for the third longest in Indiana history.
"Pike will try to speed it up more than we want to," Davis said. "I think we'll have more structure and get good shots. If they get out it will be tough for us to keep up."
Davis has already committed to Xavier to play his college ball." They're going to let me have the ball in my hands," he said. "Their program is based on guard play, and they play an up-tempo game.
"They have a nice campus, real small. You can't get lost getting to class, so I like that, too."
Before his senior season Davis, who said too much basketball can get a little stale, plans to take a little time off from his hectic hoops pace.
"I'm not going to play AAU ball this summer," he said. He will still work out, but he "wants to enjoy being a kid a little bit."

The signs point toward jelling

By Rex Kirts

After 14 wins, it looks like unbeaten South is starting to jell.
In solid performances over the weekend against Martinsville and, especially, at Franklin Central, the Panthers shot well, defended well, rebounded well and moved the ball well.
With two new starters, the transition to this season didn't happen right away. But smoothness has arrived. The foundation has been laid for the rest of the year.
"We played a lot better the last two nights," junior point guard Dee Davis said.
DAVIS WAS ONE of those playing better. Actually, he played like he did earlier this season. But an ankle sprain forced him to sit out one game, and foul trouble slowed him in another.
Davis scored 14 points against Martinsville, when coach J.R. Holmes rested his starters a lot, and ripped Franklin Central for 17 points.
"I haven't been in the flow," Davis said. "I wasn't as aggressive as I should have been."
Franklin Central is an extremely difficult place for visitors to win a basketball game. South got going in the second quarter to break away to an 11-point lead and maintained control the rest of the way. In addition to Davis' 17 points, centrer Erik Fromm had 17 and dominated the boards with 11 rebounds. Matt Carlino 13 points despite being sick, and Spencer Turner had 10.
Holmes used six players most of the way, and senior guard Ben Whitlatch came off the bench to sub for Joey Forney most of the game. Whitlatch is quicker and was needed because FC used a small, quick lineup.
"OUR OFFENSE DID a lot better job moving the ball," Davis said. "We moved the ball to get a lot more open shots." Defensively, Davis felt the Panthers did a good job of fighting through FC's many screens.
"We played really well in the first half," Holmes said of the Franklin Central game. "Erik was playing, hitting some shots. It was our plan to go to him because we had a mismatch with him."
Holmes didn't like what he saw in the third quarter after the Panthers go up 18. "We had six turnovers, most of them when we tried to dribble through them. So we didn't make good decisions there.
"But to hold a 10-point lead here is good. The last four games our defense is in the 40s, and we don't hold the ball."
THE VICTORY kept the Panthers unbeaten (4-0) and in the lead in Conference Indiana with Pike, which visits South Friday night.
"I don't think you can lose a home game and win the conference outright," Holmes said.
The win was South's 40 straight, the 26 last year and 14 this year. That moves South into a tie with Marion (1984-86) for the third longest winning streak in Indiana history. Lawrence North leads with 50 from 2005-06, and Indianapolis Crispus Attucks is second with 45 in 1955-56.
The Lawrence North team was the one led by Greg Oden and Mike Conley, and the Attucks team was led by Oscar Robertson.

Fromm's work never ends

By Rex Kirts

As much as he improves, Erik Fromm sees work as a never-ending requirement.
During the off-season South's 6-9 senior center worked on his strength, his jump shot, stuff outside his comfort level, rebounding, leadership and being more aggressive.
"A lot had to do with my confidence," Fromm said.
There was improvement in all the areas he worked on, he feels.

"I improved in some areas more than others. I still need to work on

Erik Fromm

everything. I'm not one who gets satisfied, especially when I want to play at the next level."
Butler is the next level for him, but for now his entire focus is on South and continued Panther success. They are 12-0 heading into a doubleheader weekend at home against Martinsville and a road trip to Conference Indiana rival Franklin Central. They have won 38 straight games, tied with Vincennes for fifth best in Indiana history.
FROMM IS THIRD on the team in scoring with a 15.1 average and leads in rebounds with a 7.5 average and blocks with 1.0. He's shooting .566 overall, .583 on 3s and .684 at the free throw line.
"Erik has been pretty consistent," coach J.R. Holmes said. "Sometimes he's had just one good half, but maybe the other teams have had something to do with that defensively.
"He can shoot facing the basket and is a threat if you don't come out and get him. He can run and jump and handle the ball, and being able to bring the ball up is a big plus. Erik is learning and has gotten better every year."
Fromm isn't satisfied with his play thus far.
"I'm not too happy with it," he said. "I think I can play a lot better."
He creates matchup trouble for most of the teams on the schedule because of his ability to play out on the floor as well as underneath. He has multiple shooting talents, able to stroke the long ball and score inside on soft jump hooks with either hand.
Fromm liked his results the last two games, against Columbus East and Edgewood, but those were young teams that South and Fromm had out-manned. Better tests lie ahead.
ADJUSTMENTS HAVE been necessary for all the Panthers this season. Those seem to be working out with each game.
"It's been a tough adjustment to this year from last year," Fromm said. "I think now I'm starting to figure it all out."
Fromm signed early to Butler. Did that change anything about the way he approached this season?
"I think subconsciously it might have a little bit," he said."Maybe it took the edge off."
He's shaken that off, however, and the edge is back. The edge is doing what he can right now, with South. There's no lack of anxiety and urgency going into a ball game.
"It's good to get nervous," Fromm said "because it pumps you up. There's always a next goal, another state championship. I'll think about Butler when I get there."
In the present mode, Fromm and the Panthers have to take care of business being the No. 1 ranked team in the state.
"WE WERE TARGETS last year, too," he said. "This year it's a different kind of target. I wouldn't say it's fun, but it's fun being the one everyone wants to knock off."
And he'd like to remain in that position. The way to do that is improve, no maintain.
"You don't practice to stay where you are. You practice to get better," Fromm said.
Work. It's required to get to No. 1 and to stay there.

Basketball reunion Feb. 19, search on for players

By Rex Kirts

J.R. Holmes is planning yearly reunions of his former South players, those who played 25 years ago. The reunion this year will be at the South gym Feb. 19 at the game against Perry Meridian.
Since he's in his 28th year at South, the first reunion will include players from his first four teams, 1982-83, 83-84, 84-85 and 85-86.
Several of the players have been contacted and indicated they will attend. Help is needed to contact the rest. Anyone knowing the whereabouts or how to contact the following players can call Holmes at the athletic office at 330-7808:
From 1982-83: David Pardo, Darin Myers, Steve McDay, Jay Bastin.
1983-84: David Archer.
1984-85: Pat Poland, Jim Bihlman.
1985-86: Chris Burke, Tim Justice.

Carlino adjusts well

By Rex Kirts

Leaving home isn't often easy for teenagers, but Matt Carlino has done well moving from family and friends in Arizona to live in Bloomington.
"It's been really good," Carlino said this week. "People have been really comforting, the coaches and the players. It's been easy. Everyone has treated me really nice."
The junior lives with his father in Bloomington while mom and siblings remain in Arizona. He's adapted to his new surroundings quickly, both on and off the basketball court.

Matt Carlino

"I miss my family," he admitted. "But I pretty much have all the things here that I had there, which is basketball."
CARLINO, WHO HAS already committed to playing for IU, has been a force for the unbeaten (12-0) Panthers. He's tied for the team lead in scoring with a 15-point average, is second in rebounding and first in assists. He's been especially outstanding grabbing rebounds and leading fast breaks.
His father's Arizona team finished second in the state last year, and switching to a new system has been fairly smooth, aided by continued success with the new team.
"It's been fun," Carlino said. "When you're winning it's always fun. Now we have to try to make the team better. We need to keep practicing with a purpose."
With J.R. Holmes calling the shots, practice is always purposeful.
"I love him as a coach," Carlino smiled. "He's a great motivator. He figures out how to get the best out of his players."
Holmes said Carlino has fit in very well with the Panthers, three of whom started on last year's state championship team.
"Obviously he's very talented," the Panther coach said. "He came off the bench in the summer and earned his time, earned his respect. So he approached this in the right frame of mind.
"MATT HAS HAD to change a little bit. He came from a free-lance game, and we don't operate that way. He can create his own shot, which is a very important asset he adds to our team.
"He's getting better at running what we do. I want him to get accountable for each possession."
Carlino scores high marks in other areas, too.
"He's a great kid," Holmes said. "Very coachable, hard working. I think he really likes Bloomington, really likes Bloomington South."
Indiana high school basketball has a good reputation nationwide, and it's all Carlino hoped for.
"People are very passionate about high school sports," Carlino said. "And that's fun, especially when you're playing it."
Carlino, who has home run power, wants to play baseball in the spring, but that might depend on being able to couple that with AAU basketball.

The style is set, and it's different

By Rex Kirts

After 12 games, 12 victories that in many cases were a little more exciting than South fans felt would be the case, the style of the 2009-2010 basketball team is pretty well set. And it's not the same as last year.
That realization has been slow to surface because the Panthers have picked up where they left off. They're undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the state again.
This year's team can't compare to last year's, though. Jordy Hulls and Chaz Cooper are gone from the starting lineup and David Blackwell, Marcus Etnier and Jake Mulinix gone from the bench. Matt Carlino and Joey Forney are new to the starting five and Ben Whitlatch, Desmond Marks and Clayton Fletcher new as the first subs.
Coach J.R. Holmes' team is winning games differently, and by now it's OK to understand that that's OK. It can make a fan squirm, but it's OK.
INSTEAD OF SMACKING the opponents in the mouth to start the game and ending the suspense by midway in the second quarter, this year's team starts slower. It feels its way around to see what the opponents are doing and then rips 'em up and wears them down in the second half.
Occasionally, the Panthers wait a bit long to put the hammer down. Like at Carmel when they trailed by 13 points with four minutes to go before winning in overtime.
And they get behind uncomfortably far early, like 17-6 in the first quarter at Center Grove.
But they pulled away to win comfortably at Center Grove, 67-53, and they recovered from a 14-7 first-quarter deficit against Edgewood Friday night to win 72-48 by out-scoring the Mustangs 28-6 in the fourth quarter.
Obviously, the Panthers have a lot of explosive capabilities. They're just a tad slow on the ignition.
As Holmes says, they wait to turn the switch on.
"SOMETIMES WE DON'T get in the rhythm sooner," the highly talented Carlino said after the Edgewood game. "We really need to switch that. We've got to get in the flow of the game earlier."
Dee Davis thrilled everyone in the gym early when he drove into a crowd and flipped a backward layup softly off the glass. He performs such spectacular acrobatics often, but he said the Panthers weren't doing the defense right in the first half against the out-manned Mustangs. It was corrected the second half, and the offense took off the last quarter.
"We moved the ball in the fourth quarter," Davis said. "We went up on them with our fast game. I just think we out-worked them in the fourth quarter."
The 2010 Panthers are exquisite offensively, averaging 73 points per game and shooting 53 per cent from the field. Four players average in double figures (Davis 15, Carlino 15, Fromm 15 and Turner 10). They can score outside and inside, and most of the time they're outstanding at the free throw line.
They're just coming off three games in seven days, which Holmes liked because "it's good practice for the tournament (sectional). You may have to play three games (in five days) in the tournament."
SOUTH IS TIED with Pike and Franklin Central for the lead in Conference Indiana, and the back half of the schedule includes those two plus a resurgent Columbus North team and a Perry Meridian team that beat Pike in the Marion County tournament last week. The Pantheres host Martinsville Friday and travel to Franklin Central Saturday.
With the schedule showing little letup, Holmes wants to see continued improvement in his team. He was disappointed in the pre-game warmup for Edgewood, feeling the Panthers' minds were not on the game, and didn't like the defensive switches in the first half.
There were positives, of course, in addition to good shooting and rebounding. "I thought we could wear them down with our size and strength and the youth of their team,' Holmes said. "I thought we played hard. Matt had some good passes (eight assists)."
The Panthers had only seven turnovers, and they moved the ball well. They took advantage of Fromm's 6-9 height by getting the ball inside to him, including two passes for dunks.
CROWDS GROWING: Everyone likes a winner, and South fans are no exception. Crowds seem to be growing with each home game. There was a lot of purple in the stands for the Edgewood game.

Tough first half schedule challenged Panthers

By Rex Kirts

Facing one of its toughest first-half schedules ever, South handled all the challenges to earn its 9-0 record and maintain the No. 1 state ranking it had from the start of the season.
It wasn't easy. Coach J.R. Holmes' team was pushed often, both at home and on the road. The Panthers drew big crowds wherever they played and didn't disappoint their expanding following.
Playing tough opposition is wise, of course, because it forces teams to get better. Improvement is a natural by-product.
Another plus is playing several different styles. Some of the opponents ran, some held the ball. THERE WAS man-to-man defense, zones and matchup zones. So far there has been no trick defenses, such as the triangle-and-two or box-and-one, but those will happen. By the tournament, the Panthers should be prepared for whatever the rivals try.
Statistically, South holds edges in most categories, including overall shooting, free throw shooting, rebounding, assists and steals. Surprisingly, the opponents are ahead by one percentage point, 37-36, in an area thought to be dominated by the Panthers, 3-point shooting.
Overall, South is shooting 51 percent to the opponents' 45. Letting the oppposition shoot 45 percent is not normally considered great defense. But remember, the Panthers have played several real good teams.
"We're 9-0, and the competition has been tough overall," Holmes said. "And we've just come through a stretch where we had three of four games on the road."
THE TEAM HAS played in spurts, he said. A lot of those spurts were good ones, obviously, but a few down times, notably in the first half, made the good spurts necessary.
"Last year we were ahead all the time, until the Country Day game and some games in the tournament. But I've told the kids last year is last year, it's over with, this is your team."
The dynamics of the 26-0 state champs of last year and this year's 9-0 ball club are different. The constant is winning but winning done a different style.
This year's team is learning a lot. Just last week, for instance, it learned how to attack a matchup zone by Carmel and how to play against a full-court trapping press by Lexington Catholic.
It learned how to come from 13 points down with four minutes to play to beat Carmel in overtime and how to withstand numerous blitzes by Lexington.
"The teams are learning how to adjust to us," Holmes said. "Everybody we've played has been pumped up against us, them and their fans. They're all playing like they were in the national championship game."
That's not likely to change. It will be that way Friday when the Panthers travel to city rival North, and it will be that way the rest of the season. Everyone wants a shot at the state champs.
ASKED WHAT the team needs to improve on, Holmes said it depends on what the other teams do. The next four or five games he expects the opponents to slow the game down, so the Panthers will need to attack defensively and try to speed the game up to their quicker comfort level.
Holmes is also hoping to improve the offensive execution. The Panthers had been a good ball-handling team until making a bunch of turnovers against Lexington.
Individually, Holmes is counting on Spencer Turner to shoot better the second half. Turner started cold but has gradually gotten better. Against Lexington he hit 3 of 6 on 3s.
A surprise element has been the rebounding of Matt Carlino.
"The last four games Carlino has 36 rebounds," Holmes said. The junior lefty also has 21 assists and an 18-point average the last four games.
In the same four games junior point guard Dee Davis has played at a floor game level that's shockingly good. "Dee has 25 assists and zero turnovers," Holmes said. "That's unbelievable."
DAVIS LEADS the team in scoring on the season with a 17.8 average, followed by Carlino at 16.0, senior center Erik Fromm at 15.8 and Turner at 10.3.
"Fromm is getting better," Holmes added. "Dee is shooting unbelievable on 2s (.65 per cent). I still think Dee, Matt and Spencer can improve on their 3s."
Junior forward Joey Forney rounds out the starting five. Junior Desmond Marks is the first sub underneath and has done some good things. So has senior guard Ben Whitlatch, the first sub in the backcourt.
Defensively, Holmes said there's been some experimenting on how much pressure the Panthers can put on.

It takes all kinds of opponents to prepare a team

By Rex Kirts

It akes all kinds of opponents to prepare a basketball team for the season and the post-season.
South, rolling along at 9-0, has already met several different kinds of opposition. It's met the slow-downers, the runners, the pressers and all kinds of defenders.
School has been in session, and the Panthers have passed.
Their marks could be higher in some areas, such as overall defense and stopping the dribble. But they're honor roll achievers in shooting the ball, and that covers whatever might be inadequate.
Saturday night the Panthers hosted Lexington, Ky., Catholic, the sixth-ranked team in the Bluegrass state. Indiana's No. 1 team was pressed from the start to the finish and won, 86-77. It helped that the Panthers led most of the way because they struggled against the press in the first half, making 13 turnovers, most of those because of hurried, slopping passing.
THE SECOND HALF was better as the Panthers showed patience against the 2-2-1 pressure.
"The game was a lot of up and down," said junior point guard Dee Davis, who finished with 24 points and a bunch of assists. "The first half (against the press) we didn't settle down. The second half we slowed it down."
"Too many errors," coach J.R. Holmes said. "We had 13 errors the first half . . . because they were pretty good, and we did not respect their quickness. We didn't read the defense very well.
"But, this was good experience for us. A good game, a learning game, an experience game."
The learning part was interesting to Holmes.
"Our kids didn't believe me when I drove 350 miles to scout them and told them Lexington was going to trap, trap, trap," Holmes said. "You've got to have composure, and we didn't move the ball quick enough. Lexington had something to do with that - they're pretty good."
The part Holmes liked was the execution in the half-court, and the Panthers made a lot of baskets when they broke the press.
"I LIKED IT WHEN we did what we wanted to do we did well against the press. And we shot the ball better (than they did at Carmel on Wednesday)." The Panthers shot 57 per cent against Lexington, 39 at Carmel.
Once again South had good scoring balance. In addition to Davis' 24, Matt Carlino had 19 (all in the second half) and Erik Fromm and Spencer Turner 17 each. Carlino had 12 rebounds and Fromm 11. Ben Whitlatch and Desmond Marks played well off the bench.
Holmes liked the size of the crowd for Lexington. Most games the Panthers have played before large crowds, and there was another good one for Lexington.
"Two years in a row we've brought in a quality team. The people are getting their money's worth," he said. Last year he brought in nationally ranked Detroit Country Day, and the Panthers won that in one of the greatest games in their history.
Next up on the schedule is a road game at North on Friday. For a decent seat, come early.

Lessons learned in escape at Carmel

By Rex Kirts

Charging back from 13 points down with four minutes to go and winning in overtime created object lessons other than the obvious: Never give up.
"We didn't give up," said Matt Carlino after South rallied to win at Carmel, 71-68, Friday to get to 8-0.
"Never give up" was the object lesson, said Dee Davis.
Another important lesson was learned by this year's Panther squad. And that is: Play hard right from the start.
One other big lesson learned: Carlino can really play. The junior lefthander

Matt Carllino

had 28 points, 14 in the last three minutes of regulation, 14 rebounds and four assists. His "will" was the difference in the game.
THE PANTHERS have been playing too "cool" and getting by on talent, of which there is considerable. Last year's 26-0 state champs never took a "too cool" attitude into a game - they were ready to go at the opening tip and hammered away.
At Center Grove last week the Panthers fell behind 17-6 before, as coach J.R. Holmes said, they "turned on the switch" and rallied to win. They were tied at halftime at Carmel before cold shooting and an impressive 3-point effort by Carmel put them behind 13 with four minutes to go.
At that point, the Panther demeanor changed. They got aggressive, led out front by the ball-hawking Davis. And the shots started falling. Most of the time the shots weren't falling, .394 percentage for the game.
The Panthers got contributions from several players down the stretch and in overtime. Erik Fromm, Spencer Turner, Joey Forney and Ben Whitlatch all made plays. Whitlatch was in for Davis, who had fouled out.
CARMEL TIED THE GAME with 8.4 seconds left in overtime. Whitlatch took the in-bounds pass, dribbled to halfcourt and passed to Turner. Turner took a few dribbles and fired a pass to Forney on the baseline. Forney powered in a layup and hit a free throw for a 3-point play to win the game.
"I feel great," Forney smiled. "I was lucky Spencer is unselfish. He had a shot but gave the ball to me."
The Panthers knew they somewhat lucky to win. "We were lucky to turn it on," Carlino said.
"If we hadn't made that shot with 3:55 left coach said he was going to sub for the entire starting five," Davis said. "I just think we had more heart. I think they got rattled when the momentum shifted. And we stepped it up on defense."
South had some trouble on defense. Carmel is well-coached, tall and loaded with 3-point shooters. The Greyhounds hurt South with dribble penetration and kickouts for 3s.
"DRIBBLE PENETRATION has been hurting us," Holmes said, mindful that it was a factor at Center Grove, also.
Overall, however, Holmes was glad to get out of there with a victory.
"We were very lucky to win," Holmes said. "But we had only four turnovers and they had 10.
"I feel good about the last four minutes. We won because we did not give up, and they made some mistakes. And Carlino.
"When you play hard good things happen." Both teams played hard, but Carmel wore down a little bit.
Holmes was pleased, too, for another reason. "It means we didn't lose a game in 2009," he said.
The Panthers will start on 2010 Saturday at home against Lexington, Ky. Catholic in a 6:30 game.
PANTHER NOTES: South took a lot of fans to Carmel for another game in front of a pretty good-sized crowd . . . Not too long ago Carmel spent a full bag of money on renovation at the school, and it did a nice job with the gym. It's nicely designed and well lit.

Panthers handling the tough assignments, can improve

By Rex Kirts

When success has arrived and the schedule toughens because good teams want to play good teams, the challenges are greater. South has just come through one of those tough stretches.
The Panthers won against Lawrence Central, Jeffersonville and Center Grove. And though they won all three to get to 7-0, they didn't escape unscathed because they drew the ire of coach J.R. Holmes.
He coaches against the game, and the Panthers have come up short in a couple of areas. In a way that's good news - it means they haven't peaked too soon. There's room for improvement.
Lawrence Central is a good young team - starting four sophomores- and a Conference Indiana opponent. Jeffersonville is traditionally a good program, and the Panthers had to travel there the night after playing LC. Center Grove is also young and was unbeaten and playing before a big home crowd.
IT WAS THE Center Grove game that aggravated Holmes. He used and agreed with negative words and phrases like bored, no sense of urgency, individuality, stagnate, lackadaisical, play in spurts, not fluid offensively, didn't attack, didn't move the ball.
That's a load, isn't it? And this team is undefeated!
It's undefeated because it's loaded with talent and can play extremely well for dominant stretches. It can, as Holmes said, "turn the switch on."
What worries him is that sometime the switch might not get flipped.
It's a definite yes the switch will need flipped with the schedule coming up. The rest of the season is loaded with good ball clubs, including the next three. The Panthers travel to powerful Carmel Dec. 30, host Lexington (Ky.) Catholic Jan. 2 and travel to Bloomington North Jan. 8.
At Center Grove, the Panthers had great balance. Dee Davis and Erik Fromm had 17 points, Matt Carlino 12, Joey Forney 10 and Spencer Turner 9. Carlino also had nine rebounds and seven assists and started some fast breaks for a neat all-around performance, Davis had five assists and Fromm seven rebounds.
THESE STARTERS also got behind 17-6 before rallying with a 19-2 spurt to take over the game and send the home team to its first loss.
"I was disappointed that I had to chew their butts when we got down 17-6," Holmes said. "I think our kids short-change the game sometime."
He didn't like the feeling of individual play. He did like it when they played as a team.
When they operate as a team they can take the fight out of the opposition. So many weapons.
Not many weapons were firing when the Panthers got down 17-6. The carnage stopped there, however, and they asserted themselves the rest of the way.
"We were playing too much individual," Davis said of the early play, "and weren't moving the ball the way we should." They got started, he said, by playing better help defense, getting on the boards and getting some fast breaks.
"We haven't jelled yet," Davis said. "It will come in when we need it," he added, confidently.
PANTHER NOTES: One of the great things winning does is bring out the crowds. South has played before some outstanding crowds the last few years, and this season is another bonanza in many cases, both home and away. Several South students even went on the road for the Center Grove game . . . A couple of highlights of the game at Southport was the home school playing a lot of good old-time music, much appreciated by the older fans, and the dancing in the stands by four or five elementary age boys from Bloomington. It was quite a show . . . It's Christmas time and we're supposed to think good thoughts, but the officiating at Center Grove was more like Mr. Scrooge than Santa Claus.

Shooting outstanding as slowdowns handled

By Rex Kirts

The opposition keeps trying it, but J.R. Holmes isn't going to let them do it.
With an advantage in talent the last couple of years, South isn't about to let the opponents slow down the game and try to keep it close, with the hope of stealing a win at the end.
So, defensively, the Panthers attack. Friday night they got after Southport and its four-corner offense, and Saturday they zoomed in on Terre Haute North's high flex delay. Both teams were trying to score, not stall all out, but they didn't take as much time off the clock as they wanted.
Not only was South's defensive strategy successful, it was made even more effective by outstanding shooting, 56 per cent at Southport and 57 per cent at home against Terre Haute.
THE PANTHERS got the lead in both games, and that puts a crimp in slowdowns.
The Panthers zipped past Southport, 72-43, and handled Terre Haute North, 54-42, to move to 4-0. Southport is young and struggling, but Terre Haute came in 4-0.
Holmes liked his defense last weekend. "We defended well both games," he said. "I thought our pressure wore them down a little bit." Terre Haute was without meaningful guard play the last four minutes, forcing the Patriots to use their big men outside.
Meaningful play besides the defense and shooting, included Spencer Turner and Erik Fromm coming out of mild slumps, Matt Carlino's all-around play, the continued highlight film performances of Dee Davis, Desmond Marks' return Saturday to bolster the bench after missing Friday with sickness and Joey Forney's battling against a bigger man against Terre Haute.
Davis had one particular play against Terre Haute that was truly exceptional in its draw-dropping appeal. It was a no-look, sideways, one-handed pass through the middle of the defense to Forney for a layup.
Later, Davis nad a nifty two-man give-and-go backdoor layup when the Panthers tried a little slowdown stuff of their own.
TURNER, WHO HIT 46 per cent of his 3-point shots last year, was 1 of 11 coming into Terre Haute but drilled 3 of 4 to snap out of his slump. He preferred to talk of the team's play.
"It was a good win," Turner said. "Fun. We played really well as a team, especially playing a team of that caliber.
"Joey (6-3) did a good job on 42 (6-6 Thomas Anderson). Our defense won the game for us."
Fromm, 6-9 and the only senior in the starting lineup, hadn't had quite the games he wanted in the first two outings, but he played much better all around last weekend.
"The first two games I didn't play up to my potential," Fromm said. "I think I've found my niche." His niche included 17 points and six points at Southport and 13 points and five rebounds against Terre Haute. He was 2-2 on 3-point shots against Terre Haute.
"OUR DEFENSE played pretty good tonight," Fromm said of THN. "They knew every play before we ran it, but I think we did pretty good (offensively). Mark Carlino did a good job rebounding and with some assists."
Carlino hit his first 3-point shots at Southport and finished with 18 points. He had only five points against Terre Haute but had some nice rebounds and assists.
Marks, a junior whose potential was unknown, has played well off the bench. At 6-5 and 235, he has been strong defensively.
The Panthers' attempt at climbing to 6-0 next weekend won't be easy. They host Lawrence Central in Conference Indiana action Friday and travel to Jeffersonville Saturday.

Fans should pay extra for the Dee Davis show

By Rex Kirts

Maybe fans should pay extra for the Dee Davis show. There's only one problem - it's priceless.
See Dee defend, see him steal the ball and go full court for a layup, see him slash through the middle of the defense for a layup, see him hit the 3 or make a nice pass for a bucket.
South's 5-11 junior point guard can do it all, with style. He's a creator - a creator of chaos to the opposition and joy to the Panthers.

Dee Davis

At Bedford North Lawrence Friday, Davis put on a typical dazzling show. The second half, especially, a play-by-play sheet would read:

Davis, steal and a layup.
Davis, steal and a layup.
On and on it went. For the game he had seven steals, four assists, one rebound and 23 points, 16 points coming in the second half when South pulled away after a sluggish first half to win, 71-51. He had only one turnover.
"DEE WAS INCREDIBLE," coach J.R. Holmes said.
Davis wasn't alone in a starring role. Junior lefthander Matt Carlino nearly duplicated Davis' numbers, also with a big burst in the second half. Carlino finished with 21 points, 15 in the second half; three rebounds and some nice assists.
It was Carlino's two long 3-pointers in the third quarter that broke the game open. Until then, Bedford had visions of a huge upset of the defending state champs.
But the Stars couldn't contain the Panthers' two-man show. Indeed, it was a two-man show offensively, because other Panthers were off their feed slightly.
South got a big lift defensively, though, from 6-5, 235-pound junior strongman Desmond Marks. He came off the bench and helped contain 6-8 junior center Alex Pritchett, who was hurting the Panthers from all over the court, including the 3-point area.
"DESMOND STOPPED 42 (Pritchett)," Holmes said. "Pritchett had only five (of his 21) points in the second half. Desmond was the key."
South's first half was not pretty. A significant thing about last year's team was it rarely played a bad game or even a bad half, but the Panthers just didn't have it the first half. Sort of like sleepwalking.
"I asked them at halftime if they wanted to get embarrassed," Holmes said. "They stood around too much.
"I was disappointed in their attitude. I thought they got frustrated."
Davis said, "We weren't playing with any emotion. We weren't organized offensively the first half.
"THE SECOND HALF we picked up the intensity and played more as a team. We moved the ball for the open shot and played help defense."
The game was a good learning lesson. The Panthers (2-0) learned they can't just show up and expect the opponents to wimper, even teams which are winless like BNL (0-3).
"We are a season-maker for every team we play," Holmes pointed out. "But, we are a work in progress."
Next up for South is Southport in the Conference Indiana opener Friday at Southport, followed by a home game Saturday against Terre Haute North.

Conference Indiana standings, South scores and statistics

........................Conf..AG
South..................6-0...16-0
Pike....................4-1....8-5
Bloomington North....4-1....11-3
Franklin Central.......3-2...9-7
Columbus North.......2-4....10-4
Perry Meridian.........1-4....9-7
Lawrence Central.....1-4....5-7
Southport..............0-5....1-11
Tuesday's game
Southport at Perry Meridian
Wednesday's game
Bloomington North at Pike
Thursday's games
Columbus North at Greenwood
Decatur Central at Franklin Central
Franklin at Bloomington North
Martinsville at Perry Meridian
Pike at Indianapolis Manual
Southport at Broad Ripple
Warren Central at Lawrence Central
Saturday's games
South at Warren Central, 2:30 p.m.
Bloomington North at Indianapolis Washington, 2:30 p.m.
Franklin at Columbus North, 2:30 p.m.
Mt. Vernon (Fortville) at Lawrence Central, 2:30 p.m.
Southport at Fishers, 2 p.m.

South varsity scores
South 69, New albany 61
South 71, Bedford North Lawrence 51
South 72, Southport 43
South 54, Terre Haute North 42
South 76, Lawrence Central 66
South 86, Jeffersonville 55
South 67, Center Grove 53
South 71, Carmel 68 ot
South 86, Lexington, Ky., Catholic 77
South 66, Bloomington North 51
South 89, Columbus East 43
South 72, Edgewood 48
South 77, Martinsville 48
South 61, Franklin Central 48
South 66, Pike 55
South 67, Columbus North 49

South junior varsity scores
South 52, New Albany 45
Bedford North Lawrence 53, South 38
South 31, Southport 19
South 47, Terre Haute North 34
South 55, Lawrence Central 51 (ot)
South 49, Jeffersonville 44
South 49, Center Grove 31
South 39, Carmel 36
South 50, Eastern Greene 44
South 44, Bloomington North 24
South 44, Columbus East 39
South 59, Edgewood 37
South 54, Martinsville 31
Franklin Central 45, South 40
Pike 48, South 44
South 64, Columbus North 47

South statistics (14-0)
......................G...3PFG...PCT...AFG...PCT...FT...PCT...R...A...S...TP...AVG
Dee Davis............13..11-41 .268..85-154 .571...37-50 .740...24..58..32..218....16.7
Matt Carlino.........14..25-64 .390..77-153 .503..33-45 .733...80..69...17...212...15.1
Erik Fromm.........14...7-13 .538....80-140 .571..45-65 .692..109...18...14...212..15.1
Spencer Turner.....14..26-74 .351...49-104 .471....24-28 .857..44...30...14...148..10.5
Joey Forney.........14..3-11 .272.....23-44 .522...14-20 .700....38...17...7...63....4.5
Desmond Marks.....13..0-0 .000.....18-25 .720.....12-22 .545....37....6...2...48....3.6
Ben Whitlatch.......14..4-9 .444.....13-21 .619.....7-11 .636......10...18...7....37.....2.6
Nate Peck...........13..4-7 .571.....9-12 .750......7-8 .875.......13...6...4....29....2.2
Kyle Fletcher........14..3-10 .300.....7-15 .466......7-13 .538.....8....7...0....24.....1.7
Clayton Fletcher....14..4-10 .400.....4-11 .363......4-6 .666.....7...12....2...16.....1.1
Alex Forney.........13...0-0 .000.....2-3 .666.......3-4 .750.......5...1...0....7.....0.5
Ben Stowell..........4....0-0 .000.....1-3 .333......1-2 .500.......1...0...1....3....0.7
Lucas Franz.........3....0-0 .000.....0-1 .000.......0-0 .000.......0...0...1....0.....0.0
Totals..............87-239 .364 368-686 .536 197-273 .721 375 248 101 1017 72.6
Opponents.........91-257 .354 272-638 .426 119-176 .676 279 144 62 754 53.8

Panthers to play fast

By Rex Kirts

South fans expecting to see a basketball game might be a little surprisd this season. They'll think they've stumbled into Churchill Downs or a track meet.
Entering his 27th year as the head coach of the state championship team that went 26-0 last year, J.R. Holmes has a stable full of thoroughbreds. And he plans to run 'em.
The 2009-10 Panthers will resemble a track relay team with an orange ball instead of a baton. They'll run on offense and full-court press on defense.
"We're going to try to be in a hurry," Holmes smiled. "We're going to use our athleticism with our guards, and our big guy can run and handle the ball a little it. When your big guys can take three or four dribbles it helps clear the ball down the floor quicker."
HOLMES HAS ALWAYS liked to play quick, and this year he has the personnel to make life miserable for opponents hampered by a lack of speed. State championship game MVP Dee Davis and Arizona move-in Matt Carlino, both juniors, have super quick hands and feet and can disrupt opposition offenses. Senior big man Erik Fromm runs the floor very well, and junior Spencer Turner will surprise people on how effective he can be in fast-break situations.
These four will be definite starters. The fifth spot is still up for grabs, depending on who rises to the top or who the opponents are. Junior Joey Forney has a good chance to start and at this moment has an edage on senior Ben Whitlatch, whose prospects were delayed by a bout with mononucleosis.
Others expected to contribute include seniors Kyle and Clayton Fletcher and Nate Peck and juniors Desmond Marks, Alex Forney, Ben Stowell and Lucas Franz.
"Whitlatch hasn't been here - he just returned Monday - to se what direction we'll go," Holmes said. "Joey and Desmond are basically playing for that fifth spot now, and Alex Forney has been competing. And the others are still battling."
LIKE LAST YEAR, South is blessed with plenty of depth. That was extremely important last year because not only did the second five push the starters in practice, they also contributed mightily in games toward the unbeaten season and state title. If it hadn't been for subs David Blackwell, Marcus Etnier and Jake Mulinix there probably wouldn't have been a championship to celebrate. This is a versatile team once again, and Holmes has stressed learning positions other than the primary one.
"Whatever the game calls for, we can put in," Holmes said. "Last year we decided our top five from Day One. We're not sure this year, and we're going to give others shots.
"I told our players to enhance their chances of playing they've got to know all the positions in the offense. So if they can do two or three things it enhances their opportunity to play."
This goes for Carlino and Turner, too. There may be times, because of foul problems to others or who the opponents put on the floor, that they may have to play other spots. Holmes is confident they can handle that.
"This team has a lot of the great qualities of last year's with ball handling," he said.
THE ONE CONCERN Holmes has about this team is rebounding should the 6-9 Fromm get in foul trouble. With him out the Panthers get a little short, although Marks is 6-5 and 235 and can pick up some of the slack. Joey Forney is capable at 6-3, 206 and Turner at 6-4, 198.
Panther plusses besides speed include experience, depth and physical strength. "And I think we're pretty good shooters," Holmes said.
No team has the quality experience South has. Davis, Fromm and Turner started last year, and IU recruit Carlino started for his Arizona team that finished second in the state.
Chemistry is the elusive bonding all coaches seek and don't know if they have until the competition begins.
"We'll have to see if we can round them into shape and get them to be a cohesive team," Holmes said. "Team chemistry is big." He pointed out that last year Jordy Hulls didn't have a high scoring average but still got Mr. Basketball because he gave up individual glory for the team.
"TEAM CHEMISTRY is giving up individual self for the betterment of the team. It will be interesting to see how that works when you have high profile players," Holmes said.
"The experience is there, and the talent is there. The only thing is to see if the chemistry is there," Holmes added.
South's schedule s plenty tough enough. New teams include New Albany, which travels here for the season opener Nov. 28, and Lexington, Ky., Catholic. In Conference Indiana, South and Pike are probably pre-season favorites, and Holmes feels Lawrence Central, North, Columbus North and Franklin Central will be strong.
Panther roster
No. Player
3 Matt Carlino 6-3, 178, jr.
4 Erik Fromm 6-9, 219, sr.
5 Ben Whitlatch 6-1, 170, sr.
10 Clayton Fletcher 5-11, 163, sr.
11 Darwin Davis, Jr. 5-11, 160, jr.
13 Ben Stowell 6-1, 167, jr.
22 Spencer Turner 6-4, 198, jr.
25 Kyle Fletcher 6-1, 181, sr.
31 Alex Forney 6-4, 200, jr.
33 Nathan Peck 6-0, 186, sr.
35 Lucas Franz 6-3, 182, jr.
41 Desmond Marks 6-5, 235, jr.
43 Joey Forney 6-3, 206, jr.

Panther schedule
Nov. 28-New Albany, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 4-At Bedford North Lawrence, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 11-At Southport, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 12-Terre Haute North, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 18-Lawrence Central, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 19-At Jeffersonville, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 22-At Center Grove, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 30-At Carmel, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 2-Lexington, Ky., Catholic, 6:30 p.m.
Jan. 8-At Bloomington North, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 12-At Columbus East, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 15-Edgewood, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 22-Martinsville, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 23-At Franklin Central, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 29-Pike, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 5-At Columbus North, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 13-At Warren Central, 2:30 p.m.
Feb. 19-Perry Meridian, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 20-Evansville Harrison, 4:30 p.m.
Feb. 25-Decatur Central, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 2/5/6-Sectional
Feb. 13-Regional
Feb. 20-Semistate
Feb. 27-State

Memories great from the championship season

By Rex Kirts

The gym lights were off as Spencer Turner and Kyle Fletcher were leaving. They looked up, and visible was the banner proclaiming South as the 2008-09 state basketball champion.
We couldn't believe it," Turner smiled, speaking of the memories created by the banner.

Spencer Turner

"Winning the basketball championship is the biggest thing in Indiana," Turner continued. "It's the highest you can get. It's just miraculous how it makes you feel.

"It's greater than you as an individual, for a great school."
Turner, a junior, is one of three starters returning from coach J.R. Holmes' 26-0 team of last year. The others are senior Erik Fromm and junior Dee Davis, the MVP of the title game.

ONE OF TURNER'S biggest memories of the regular season campaign was "just the team. You look at Jordy Hulls, Mr. Basketball. How could he have averaged 15 or 16 points and get Mr. Basketball? It's because of the team
"Jordy, me, Fromm, Dee, Chaz (Cooper) - nobody cared about points. We never yelled at each other for not getting the ball."
Turner, a big guard or a small forward whose 3-point shooting is close to phenomenal, is a gym rat who's never away from basketball for long. His work habits continued after the championship. He and the other Panthers have worked hard since then, during the spring, summer and fall, aiming to try for another ring.
"After we won the championship there was almost no down time," Turner said. "We took a week off and then started AAU."
Davis, whose quickness and moves at point guard makes him an opponent nobody wants to defend, continues to walk around with a good feeling from winning it all.
"It's still a good feeling," Davis said. Then he quickly looked forward. "But you know everyone will come and get you. It puts you on the map, going undefeated."
The off-season mood has thus been determined. "We're focused on getting another one," Davis said.
THE REGULAR SEASON had two defining moments for Davis, the game against North and the game against Detroit Country Day.
"North was one of the biggest games, for me," Davis said (because he Dee Davis

had transferred from there after his freshman season). It was a huge success for us, playing classy. In the scrimmage they had taken full advantage of the no-foul rule (the game was rough)."
The Country Day game, of course, was a defining moment not just for Davis but for all Panthers.
It was one of the great games in Panther history, with both teams ranked in the top five in the nation, and it was Davis' steal of Ray McCallum, another former Cougar, that started South's come-from-behind rally in the fourth quarter.
"Oh, man, Country Day!"Davis said. "Us playing as a team was huge. I watched that game today (Tuesday), actually, in school."
There's that word again. Team. To watch South, not just this team but all of Holmes' teams, is to admire such things as ball movement and hitting the open man.

Fromm at 6-8 is the resident big man. He can operate inside, with either hand, move outside to hit the 3 and run the floor. He's a tough matchup for the opponents.
Winning state took a while to sink in for Fromm.
"AT FIRST I didn't comprehend what we did," Fromm said. Little things filled in the blanks. "I went to Fazoli's and had my ring on, and they gave me half off. The guy at the cell phone place said if I needed help to call him personally. There was a lot of kindness by people who live here."
The Country Day game was special, Fromm reasoned.

Erik Fromm

"We all anticipated the Detroit game," Fromm said. "We knew it would be the big test. There was a lot of pressure and our hardest game to prepare for.

"It kind of prepared us for the state tournament because we knew we had our biggest opponent out of the way. Winning it gave us a lot of confidence."
A Herald-Times photographer shadowed the team that week, and Fromm said that helped the Panthers prepare for all the attention and bright lights they would face the rest of the season.
As this season began, Fromm discovered something new.
"IN THE PAST MONTH when we started having open gym I realized I didn't have Marcus (Etnier) to bump me, and I didn't have David (Blackwell) to lock me up," Fromm grinned.
Etnier, Blackwell and Jacob Mulinix were key roles in the Panthers' unbeaten season. They graduated, leaving important spots to fill.
The Panthers will be on public view Thursday, Nov. 19 in a scrimmage on the J.R. Holmes court against North. They open the regular season Saturday, Nov. 28 at home against New Albany.