Brentwood Academy’s Darius Garland is the complete basketball package.
His coach says so.
His play verifies that assessment.
And, yet, he’s just a sophomore.
Garland showcased his advanced skills Saturday night in the once-beaten Eagles’ 69-33 Division II-AA Middle/East Region rout of home-standing Baylor at Jimmy Duke Arena.
With the Eagles (20-1, 6-0) struggling at the start, the 5-foot-11-inch Garland found his shooting rhythm, which his teammates soon picked up on, acted as the team’s floor general and powered Brentwood Academy to the impressive win.
Garland finished with a team-high 14 points – 10 of the 11 Eagles that played scored – and got nine points in the first half when coach Hubie Smith’s squad was finding its footing.
“Darius is the 12th-rated sophomore in the country,” Smith said. “He’s a terrific player in all phases of the game; he’s the total package. Plus, he’s very coachable.”
It’s no surprise Garland has gotten so good so quick.
He has a rock-strong basketball bloodline.
Darius’ father, Winston Garland was a second-round draft pick by Milwaukee in 1987 and spent seven years in the NBA, playing with six teams – Golden State, Toronto, Los Angeles Clippers, Denver, Houston and Minnesota.
Winston Garland now serves as an assistant coach on Smith’s staff.
And, it also comes as no surprise the younger Garland has gleaned valuable knowledge from his father.
“Dad has taught me a lot,” said Darius, who already has college offers from Virginia, Vanderbilt, UCLA, Louisville, Memphis, Tennessee, Arizona State and Western Kentucky. “I listen to him because he’s played at the level I want to get to.”
Said Baylor coach Austin Clark: “(Garland) has already made the Junior Olympic team. He’s good and that team has a state champion attitude.”
Parker Suedekum and Jeremiah Oatsvall, who helped the Eagles claim the most recent Division II football and basketball state titles, each had 11 points.
Lorenzo White scored nine points for the Red Raiders (7-11, 1-4), who were coming off a loss to bitter rival McCallie a day earlier. A week ago Baylor lost to a strong Ensworth team.
“Last night was so emotional that I knew this would be difficult against a quality team like Brentwood Academy,” Clark said. “Brentwood is a fine ballclub and they played strong and physical with the basketball. That’s why they’re the defending state champions.”
The Eagles didn’t look like that type club in the early minutes. However, Garland hit a floater and right-corner 3-pointer to spark an 11-0 run and built a 12-4 lead. Gage Upshaw’s 3 with less than a minute pulled the Red Raiders to within 12-7 at the first break.
Oatsvall scored nine of the Eagles’ 25 second-quarter points and Baylor was in dire straits, trailing 37-18 at halftime.
“We’re just getting better,” Smith said. “We started three sophomores and two juniors tonight. We have five football players – three of them start – and while we’ve kept winning we weren’t flowing. The last couple weeks we have started to make a turn.”
Flowing?
After winning their first games opening the season, the Eagles have won seven straight, including victories over Ensworth and McCallie, since losing their only game of the season – a 57-50 decision against Christian Brothers in the Southern Beach Blowout in Niceville, Fla., on Dec. 30.
“The Christian Brothers game was our seventh straight road game during the Christmas break,” Smith said. “We were tired. Now I think we’ve shaken most of the rust away, especially the football guys. Now, we want to be the best team we can be.”
Baylor was held to 15 second-half points, 13 of which came from the free throw line.
Beyaun Hendricks dropped a baseline floater with 5:31 left in the third quarter, but the Red Raiders made only one other field goal over the game’s final 18 minutes and 30 seconds – White made a layup at the 4:32 mark of the fourth period.
Baylor was 17-of-25 from the line in the game. The Eagles were 11-for-17.
Offensively, the Eagles fired passes all over the court, inside-out and outside in while staying patient waiting for open lanes for penetration. The plan worked well against the Red Raiders’ 2-3 zone.
“That’s how to play the game,” Clark said. “That’s the way McCallie whipped it around against us last night.”
While Baylor lost its shooting touch in the second half, the Eagles kept piling up points and drained 11 field goals in the same span of time, five being 3-pointers.
Brentwood Academy girls 53, Baylor 49: The Lady Eagles used effective balanced scoring in the first half to power into a 29-19 lead.
Sydni Harvey scored 10 of her team-high 13 points, including two 3s, in the opening two quarters and Bria Dial, Makaila Wilson and Anna Stephens each put up six – Stephens drained two first-period 3-pointers.
Baylor sliced into its double-digit deficit and was within two-to-five points of the lead most of the fourth quarter when Kaleigh Clemons and Abby Hubert each scored five points.
Clemons and Mya Long each finished with 15 points to pace the Lady Raiders (15-6, 4-2). Long made three of Baylor’s five 3s.
BOXSCORES
Boys
Brentwood Academy 12 25 11 21 – 69
Baylor 7 11 8 7 – 33
Brentwood Academy (69) – Parker Suedekum 11, Darius Garland 14, B. Taylor 6, Garrett Suedekum 5, Jeremiah Oatsvall 11, Schoenwald 2, Johnson 6, T. Taylor 4, McNair 3, Pierson 7, McDonald.
Baylor (33) – Snead, Jackson, Hendricks 4, Whaley 3, Upshaw 5, Baker 4, Wolfe, Lorenzo White 9, Harris 1, Simpkins 1, Urey 5.
3-Point Goals – Brentwood Academy 8 (P. Suedekum 2, Garland 2, B. Taylor 2, G. Suedekum 1, Oatsvall 1), Baylor 2 (Upshaw 1, White 1)
Girls
Brentwood Academy 16 13 13 11 – 53
Baylor 7 12 10 14 – 49
Brentwood Academy (53) – Jackson 6, Anna Stephens 11, Dial 9, Sydni Harvey 13, Makaila Wilson 11, Stockett 2, Brown 1.
Baylor (49) – Kaleigh Clemons 15, Willis 6, Huckabay 2, Hubert 9, Wandeberg 2, Mya Long 15.
3-Point Goals – Brentwood Academy 5 (Stephens 3, Harvey 2), Baylor 5 (Long 3, Clemons 1, Willis)
(E-mail Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @larryfleming44)