Expecting Chambers boys basketball to slip? Don’t bet the house on it

Brian Frasier knows what people think.

After all, the top two scorers and two other starters from last season’s Chambers High boys’ basketball team are gone.

Daniel Sanford, who contributed 16.5 points and 7.9 rebounds a game, is playing for the South Carolina Gamecocks. Jaylen Curry, with 16.6 points and 9.1 assists per contest, has transferred to a private school in Florida.

“We have four new starters and lost some big scorers,” Frasier, the Cougars’ head coach, acknowledged. “I guess everyone expects us to take a step back this season.”

That still might happen.

After all, Chambers lost two of its first three games.

“Our new starters are being asked to step up, to contribute in a way they haven’t been asked before,” Frasier said.

If the chemistry doesn’t come together, it could be a step back for Chambers, which has been at or near the top of the Mecklenburg County basketball throne for the past several seasons.

Forcing turnovers

But there are signs that the chemistry might indeed be there.

That was obvious Tuesday night, when Chambers stunned nationally-ranked Myers Park, 71-60, spoiling the Mustangs’ home opener before a sold-out crowd in a gym that was warm enough to cause players to suffer muscle cramps.

It wasn’t as if Myers Park lost on a last-second basket. Frasier’s team dominated play for much of the game and looked every bit like a team that could extend its schedule late into February or early March.

How did the Cougars knock off Myers Park?

Well, it wasn’t by shooting the ball well. Chambers shot 42 percent from the floor and hit just 2- of-16 field goal tries in the third quarter.

But they repeatedly jumped into passing lanes, leaped to tip or intercept Myers Park passes, and forced a bushel full of Mustang turnovers. Chambers had eight turnovers; Myers Park had 23. Many of those Mustang mistakes were converted into layups or dunks at the other end of the floor.

And when Myers Park outscored the Cougars 20-10 in the third quarter and took a 45-40 lead after trailing earlier, Chambers responded well. The Cougars made 9-of-13 from the floor and hit 12-of-13 free throws in the fourth quarter.

‘Staying focused’

“It’s all about preparation and staying focused,” said Maurio Hanson, a 6-7 junior forward. “We don’t worry about rankings and things like that. Our mindset is to be ready to play, and stay focused on what we have to do.”

Longtime Charlotte residents might remember the name Maurio Hanson. The Chambers forward’s dad, also named Maurio, was a standout on the Garinger High team that won a 4A state championship in 1989. He later played college ball at Chattanooga. His son plays the same way – able to score from inside or out, with tough defense.

In Tuesday’s game, Hanson scored 12 points and added seven rebounds and five assists.

“We know some people don’t expect a lot from us this year,” Hanson said. “We take that as motivation. That’s helping us get stronger.”

He says the team misses Curry and Sanford but has plenty of talent and motivation to maintain the Cougars’ successful run.

“We’ve got good players on this team, and I think we’re capable of some big things,” Hanson said. “When we work together, like we did tonight, well … you see how it went.”

Frasier says it will take more than one or two players for Chambers to succeed this season.

On Tuesday, Nick Dorn had 20 points and five steals. Marcus Brown had 12 points and five rebounds. Jordan Patton scored 11 points.

“It goes beyond the starters,” Frasier said. “Guys will have to come off the bench. We’ll all have to contribute.”

He says the key will be effort.

“I always feel that as long as my guys come out and work hard, I’ll be happy,” he said. “We’ll do well.”

And for Myers Park?

The Mustangs came into Tuesday’s game ranked 25th nationally, according to Maxpreps.

All five starters are back from last season, and South Mecklenburg transfer Bishop Boswell, a 6-foot-4 junior who is high on the wish list for a number of colleges, has joined the gang at Myers Park. The Mustangs crushed Richmond Senior in their opener last week.

So how much stock do you put in Tuesday’s loss?

The Mustangs looked like a nationally-ranked team at times against Chambers. Sir Mohammed, a 6-foot-6 junior, scored a team-high 15 points, and his 12 third-quarter points were a big reason why Myers Park battled back and took the lead. Boswell and center Elijah Strong also scored in double figures.

The Mustangs seemed a step slow at times, and that easily could have been the result of only playing once before facing the Cougars. Unfortunately, Myers Park has another lengthy schedule break and won’t resume action until Dec. 9, when the Mustangs open South Meck 4A play against Berry Academy.

But that starts a period when Myers Park will play nine games in 22 days. That includes an appearance Dec. 27-31 in the Arby’s Classic, at Bristol, Tenn., featuring a number of the nation’s top high school teams.

Frasier said Mustangs fans shouldn’t worry.

“That,” he said, “was a good team we beat tonight.”