Columbus North’s Nate Enneking defends against Columbus East’s Mason Reeves Dec. 20, 2024 at Columbus North.
The Republic file photo
It was a major turnaround for the Columbus North boys basketball team this season.
The Bull Dogs have more than tripled their win total from last year and will be the slight favorite to win their second sectional title in three seasons. It begins when they take on Columbus East in the opening game of the Class 4A East Sectional at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
A couple of reasons for the turnaround this season for North is not losing a single player to graduation from the previous season and also gaining additional experience. With the majority of the new players to the varsity program from the previous year, it took patience going through the adversity.
While the Bull Dogs finished undefeated at home this season, they have shown they can win big games on the road. They have won by a possession against teams like Bloomington South, Whiteland, Perry Meridian and Franklin. North also has picked up a road win against Class A No. 2 Hauser in a game on Jan. 17.
“The great thing about this team is that they have played their best basketball games in the biggest moments all season long,” North coach Paul Ferguson said. “We’ve got a lot of confidence in these guys. They love a big crowd, a big-time atmosphere. They’ve played well on the road under pressure. They’re excited about the sectional.”
The Bull Dogs’ production has increased from the previous year. The team scoring of 59.5 points per game has increased by 10 points from last season. The assists also have increased, going from 11.3 last year to 15.6 this season.
“We’re a very versatile team offensively,” Ferguson said. “The thing I love about these guys is, they play very unselfish basketball, and they root for each other. When one of the guys is having a night, they all get super excited for him. You’ve seen it with our bench energy. They’ve been great teammates all year, and I know that’s going to carry into sectional.”
Junior Caleb Ferguson and sophomore Austin Perry have been the top two scorers for North this season. The 3-point shooting has been dangerous this season. Caleb Ferguson, along with seniors Nate Enneking, Max Coomes, Braylon Thoman and Ben Ferguson, all shoot 37% or higher from behind the arc.
The post players also can be a factor with seniors Garrett Long and Nolan Pickup having the potential to put up double figures offensively.
“Garrett’s emergence has really added a new dimension to our team. He’s dominated the paint offensively and defensively. He’s also a really good passer. He leads the team in assist-to-turnover ratio. He makes good decisions down there,” Paul Ferguson said. “Our leading scorers are Austin and Caleb, but we have other guys that can do things. That cohesiveness has been a big factor. There’s really a number of guys that can hurt you offensively.”
The Bull Dogs defeated their four sectional opponents in the field. They beat the Olympians 59-42, Whiteland 64-63, East Central 53-28 and Franklin 54-52.
On paper, it’s easy to think North is the favorite to raise the trophy. As the Bull Dogs know, it is tougher to beat an opponent for the second time.
“We’re just going to approach it the same way we’ve had all year long. It’s one game at a time,” Paul Ferguson said. “We’re going to be locked in, and at the end of the day, these guys are hungry. They’ve really invested in this season, the offseason and the season, and when you’re invested at this level, it means a lot to it. When the game is coming down to the wire, and they’re in a tight game, they’re going to fight hard.”
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