Northside’s basketball programs have been revitalized under new coaches. What does the culture look like entering year three?

Two years ago Buck Harris and ChoRhonda Gwaltney-Harris were brought in to overhaul the Northside basketball programs.

The first thing they mentioned was culture.

A culture of accountability, of defined expectations and of taking care of business outside of basketball.

There have been notable differences on the court and in the way the players carry themselves. Gwaltney-Harris in particular has seen a sharp turn for the better entering her third year as head girls basketball coach.

“Two years in [the kids] know what I want, and I expect, and more kids are doing what I expect, so we’re going to be better next year,” Gwaltney-Harris said.

So while losing Taylor Johnson, their best player for the last two seasons, will sting, the general progression of the entire team should raise the floor.

One of the biggest things to note throughout several summer scrimmages was how much the girls celebrate each other.

Gwaltney-Harris said the younger players coming in are more talented, but the older, more established players aren’t rejecting them. They celebrate their big plays from the bench, and that competition pushes them to be better.

“My older kids are good about that, understanding that it’s going to take those younger kids for all of us to win,” Gwaltney-Harris said.

Turnovers were by far the number one issue for last year’s Lady Eagles, and even though it’s only summer, the whole team looks like they’ve made significant progress.

“Everybody’s handling the ball well so we’re not turning it over as much,” Gwaltney-Harris said. “Most people don’t put as much pressure in the summertime, but you can tell that our ball handling’s gotten a lot better, and our decision making has gotten a lot better.”

Trouble adjusting to expectations

The boys program has hit a bit of a roadblock entering their third year under Harris.

He’s been very firm with his expectations from day one, and not all of his potential players have taken to them.

“Being held accountable, and you gotta play defense,” Harris said. “My emphasis is always gonna be on defense and paying attention to detail. So when kids come in here and you don’t wanna do that stuff, then it’s gonna be hard for you to be a part of this program…If you ain’t gonna do your work academically, then it’s gonna be hard for you to be a part of this program. Of course we want to win some games, but we want to do the right thing as well off the court.”

Some are opting out of the program entirely.

“Believe it or not, it’s not been progressive, because I’ve had a number of kids decide they didn’t want to play,” Harris said. “Young kids in particular, going into their junior year, mainly because stuff gets hard…I’ve had some kids I thought were gonna work out for me that didn’t.”

But that doesn’t mean there are no players up to the challenge. Rising junior Kaylon Harris and rising senior Donovan Lockett have stood out.

“I didn’t have to say anything to those two kids about getting in the gym in the spring and the summer as far as working on their games…When you got those two guys leading you right now, you’re in pretty good shape,” Harris said.

The Eagles have made big strides on the court in their first two seasons, winning more games in those two years (27) than the four previous (24).

There was a bit of a slide after missing the playoffs last season, but year three will be a big one to watch for Northside basketball.