Whiteland senior forward Brayden Roy, left, battles Center Grove’s Grant Messer during the championship game of the Johnson County tournament.
Daily Journal file photo
Those seeking evidence that basketball productivity isn’t always graceful need only watch Brayden Roy for four quarters.
Whiteland’s senior forward might as well be from an era in which a comfortable pair of Chuck Taylors were a hoops necessity, not a fashion statement.
At 6-foot-5, 205 pounds, Roy has a way of lunch-pailing his way through games with a combination of determination, fearlessness and positioning.
A flurry of rebounds here. A screen, steal or assist there. And just maybe a floor burn or two thrown in for good measure by the time the final buzzer sounds.
Entering the Warriors’ game at Martinsville on Friday, Roy averages 7.7 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists.
“I’m more of a physical, high-energy guy who is going to give you all he’s got,” Roy said. “I think I’ve always been this way. It’s just my mindset, knowing this is my senior year, and I’m giving it everything I’ve got.”
The Warriors’ season to date has been one of close calls.
Despite sporting a won-loss record four games under .500 (8-12), Whiteland scores nearly two more more points than it allows per game (58.5 to 56.6).
Seven losses were by five or fewer points; the team’s five Mid-State Conference setbacks came by a total of 17 points.
Frustrating, yes.
But in large part because of the example Roy has established, the Warriors don’t pout or get down. They simply continue working hard to improve in order to be a factor once the Class 4A sectional at Columbus North arrives.
Whiteland coach Nate Cangany, whose first season with the Warriors came when Roy was a freshman, can’t place a specific value on what Roy means to his program. Just know that on the court and off, it’s immense.
“Brayden played on the freshman team as a freshman, junior varsity as a sophomore, came off the bench last season and is now a starter,” Cangany said. “It’s just been cool to watch him develop and become a bigger part of our program.
“He’s really played well this season, giving us some offense, some defense, and is one of the best rebounders I’ve ever coached.”
Midway through his Warrior career, Roy altered his game.
Early on, he would occasionally roam the perimeter and knock down a 3-pointer. These past two seasons, Roy has rarely removed himself from the shadow of the basket.
This season alone, he’s finished 10 games with double-digit rebounds, and has four double-doubles. Roy utilized his 6-8 wingspan to collect 12 boards apiece in victories over Southport and Clay City.
“Brayden is so quick to jump. And it’s not just the first jump, but the second jump, too,” Cangany said. “He was important for us last season, but it’s a new level of importance now. Brayden consistently works as hard as he can all the time.
“It can be a game. It can be practices. And he genuinely loves basketball. Brayden is a great teammate, and is very coachable.”
Roy, who has attempted only four 3-point shots this season — twice the number he tried as a junior — relishes the role he plays.
“It’s more about doing the things no one really notices at first,” Roy said. “The guy doing the dirty work.”
