From the Houston Chronicle:
Boys basketball: Wildcats like view from above
By JEFF JENKINS, CHRONICLE CORRESPONDENT
Published 05:15 p.m., Tuesday, December 13, 2011

WESTBURY CHRISTIAN FILE
Playing big: The Westbury Christian boys basketball team lacks height, but the Wildcats have stood tall this season, knocking off ranked opponents such as Seven Lakes and Yates en route to an 8-0 start.

Rose-y outlook: Westbury Christian got a big boost when senior point guard L.J. Rose transferred from Second Baptist. The 6-foot-3 Rose (15 points, nine assists) joins 6-5 senior forward Delvin Dickerson (18 points, nine rebounds). Both players are returning first-team, all-state performers.

Island hopping: The Wildcats were invited to play in the prestigious Iolani Prep Classic on Dec. 15-22 in Honolulu.
Westbury Christian head boys basketball coach Russell Carr says opponents think they might have found a way to beat his squad, exploiting the Wildcats' relative lack of size.

Think again.

"We don't have big post players, but we have a few guys who are 6-foot-5, 6-foot-6 who get after it," Carr said. "And our guard play has been outstanding. I feel like we maximize everything we have."

Those expecting Westbury Christian, No. 3 in the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches Association's large private school rankings, to slip a notch have been sorely disappointed. The Wildcats began the season with a 59-38 rout over Seven Lakes, a preseason top 10 team in Class 5A, in the RCS Sports Nike Season Opener. Westbury Christian then netted victories over highly touted Central Park Christian (Birmingham, Ala.) 97-50 and Class 4A No. 1 Yates 99-79 at the PowerAde Texas Jamboree.

"We're a little tougher than I thought we were," Carr said. "We've beaten some high-caliber competition. Any time you beat a team like Yates, you have to be thrilled."

The Wildcats remained unbeaten with a 68-46 victory over Channelview last week, running their season record to 8-0.

Graduation hit Westbury Christian especially hard, but the blow was softened by the arrival of several talented transfers on campus.

Most notably, senior L.J. Rose left Second Baptist for the Wildcats, taking over at point guard for Anthony Collins (University of South Florida). The 6-foot-3 Rose, a returning first-team, all-state performer, has looked comfortable in his new environments, averaging 15 points and nine assists. He managed 19 points against Channelview.

"I was always a fan of L.J's when he played for Second Baptist, but I have an even greater appreciation now that I watch him up-close every day in practice," Carr said of Rose, who signed with Baylor University last month. "I see the amount of preparation he puts in and how he makes his teammates better. He's pretty special."

Joining Rose in the backcourt are 6-3 senior Devon Turk and 6-0 senior Julius Mitchell Turk, who played at St. Pius last season, is the second-leading scorer with 16 points, while Mitchell, one of the few holdovers, is contributing 11 points.

"Devon has helped us with his length and scoring ability," Carr said. "Julius' thing is his consistency. He's also shooting 47 percent from the 3-point line."

The frontcourt is led by 6-5 senior Delvin Dickerson at forward. Dickerson, a University of South Alabama signee, was a first-team all-stater a year ago and he's picked up where he left off (18 points, nine rebounds). Dickerson tallied a game-high 24 points against Yates.

"L.J. is the one who gets things started, but even the best point guard needs a finisher and that's Delvin," Carr said. "The two of them work so well together. It's a lot of fun watching them in action."

Rounding out the starting five is 6-6 sophomore Brandon Jones at the post. Jones is delivering six points and six boards.

"Brandon is solid on the glass and he can play inside, too," Carr said.

There's plenty of depth on the bench, just not much height.

"We're guard-heavy this season," Carr said.

Also in the guard rotation are 5-10 senior Zach Freeman, 6-1 junior Darin Minniefield and 5-10 juniors Arta Turner, Paul Chevis and Gabe Simon Minnifield, a transfer from Bellaire and Rose's back-up at point guard, is the most intriguing prospect; he is the son of former University of Kentucky and NBA player Dirk Minniefield

Rounding out the roster is 6-3 junior Ryan Berger at forward. Berger was quarterback for the football team.

While his team isn't big in stature, Carr said his team has big dreams. He believes the Wildcats can regain the TAPPS Class 4A state title. Westbury Christian, which has claimed a whopping 16 championships over the past 21 years, lost to Arlington Grace Prep in the finals a year ago.

"Losing to Grace Prep should motivate us," Carr said.

"I hope we get another shot at them. Both teams are in the top 50 in the nation. That would be a game everyone would love to see, but we have a long way to go before that happens."