If words spoken during the course of a basketball game translated to statistics, Logan Willoughby’s scoring average wouldn’t be what it is.
As quiet as he is expressionless, Willoughby, a 6-foot-2 senior guard for Whiteland, lets his game do his talking. Right now, it’s shouting, with Willoughby averaging 17.1 points — manufactured in a variety of ways — and ranking at or near the top in various other categories for the Warriors through 15 games.
Need someone to drive to the basket and possibly draw contact? Willoughby is your guy. The same holds true when it comes to chalking up mid-range baskets and/or knocking down 3-pointers.
“I think I can score all three levels, and I feel like I’m a pretty good passer, too,” said Willoughby, who has been in double figures in 12 of the Warriors’ games this season with a career best of 29 in a December victory at Batesville.
"When I was younger, I was just more of a shooter. I wasn’t real fast or athletic at the time. As I got older and grew, I became more athletic. I feel that helped me out driving to the basket, and it’s helped a lot on defense, too."
Willoughby, a solid student (3.7 grade-point average), has yet to receive any offers to play college basketball. This could soon change, as second-year Warriors coach Nate Cangany is confident the senior would be a good fit for any team at the Division II, Division III or NAIA level.
“It’s going to sound cliché, but Logan is such a good all-around basketball player,” said Cangany, whose Warriors are 9-6 going into tonight’s game at Brown County. “Every statistical category he’s improved, and Logan’s improvement defensively has been night and day. He wants the challenge of guarding someone who is going to be a challenge.
“(Defense) was the weakest part of his game, but it’s come a long, long way.”
Willoughby’s steady, all-business persona doesn’t change whether Whiteland is leading, trailing or tied — which, in his coach’s opinion, helps maintain a collective calm, especially among Willoughby’s younger teammates.
Cangany, who was announced as the Warriors’ coach in July of 2019, laughs remembering the time he introduced himself to Willoughby.
The coach did most of the talking. Okay, pretty much all of it.
“He was, like, ‘Coach, this is just me,’” Cangany said. “But with Logan, when it’s business time, it’s business time. He’s very composed, and coaching him has just been a blast. He’s been the easiest scorer I’ve ever coached. He’s going to make the right play and wants to be good.”
As a sophomore, Willoughby was the junior varsity team’s top scorer before eventually seeing increased minutes on varsity in the latter stages of the season. He’s been a fixture in the Warriors’ starting lineup the past two years.
“I play as hard as I can throughout the whole game and just give my team my all,” Willoughby said. “When I was younger, I was more of a quiet, lead-by-example guy. As a senior, I’ve had to be more vocal, and I feel my teammates listen to what I have to say.”
