Washington’s Elmange Watson, a year removed from averaging more than 20 points per game at Northeast, is scoring less but helping more. The Eagles, at 13–2 and 8–0 in division play, have their eyes on a deep playoff run. TIMES FILE PHOTO
In the span of one calendar year, Elmange Watson has gone from better-not-miss to the missing piece.
As a junior guard for the Northeast basketball team, Watson was the leading scorer of a relatively inexperienced group, usually feeling like he had to take every shot for his team to win. The Vikings had some moderate success, finishing 10–9 overall, 6–6 in the Public League’s Division C, and qualified for the postseason, losing in the first round to South Philadelphia.
Watson ended up transferring to Palmer Charter, but the school (which has now since closed) and its uncertain future led the senior-to-be to jump ship to George Washington, joining a program on the rise in Division B.
It’s a good thing he did.
Watson has been a major part of the Eagles’ best start in eons, a 13–2 overall mark that includes a flawless 8–0 record in division following Thursday’s 90–65 victory over Watson’s former team, Northeast. But Watson, who averaged 20.2 points per game overall and 22.9 points in division contests a season ago (those numbers were good for 12th and 7th in the city, respectively), is not being asked to be the guy for Washington. Rather, he was the final missing piece to the jigsaw puzzle for a squad that is putting together some lofty expectations with each subsequent win.
“It’s definitely a blessing from God, just being here in the situation I was put in,” Watson said after scoring 11 points against Northeast, one of four Eagles to post in double figures and one of nine who cracked the scoring column. “I can get my team involved more and not worry about just scoring points. It’s a great experience to come in here and be undefeated in the Public League … it’s something I never expected to happen for my senior year.”
Like most young men his age, Watson had to learn how to grow up in the past year. He didn’t always handle things perfectly while being the focal point at Northeast, which sometimes resulted in far too many shots, many of which were not great selections. He scored a lot, yes, but quantity often overshadowed quality.
Now, he’s averaging 12.5 points per game overall, and a shade more than that in Washington’s eight division contests. He can still score in bunches, but is often the second option to senior forward Charles Brown, who is having a breakout campaign in posting around 17 points per ballgame. That, plus senior teammates Jerome Blume (7.9 PPG), Asante Ali (7.7), sophomore Shaheed Fagan-Haynes (5.7) and a handful of others with capabilities of being “the guy” at any given moment, has taken the pressure off Watson and allowed him to focus more on improving his ball-handling, passing and defense.
“I like this role because I think it gets me ready for the next level,” Watson said. “I’ve realized that I’m not the only player, and I’ve got to be a point guard who can step up and make plays. Sometimes it’s not about the points, but getting others involved. It’s about being a team player, and it’s beautiful to be a part of.”
Third-year Washington head coach John Creighton has noticed Watson’s maturation increase as the year has progressed.
“He’s got the weight off his shoulders right now, and that’s allowed him to grow in other facets of the game, whether it’s distributing, working hard on the defensive end or being a leader on the court,” Creighton said. “Some games he’s the hot hand we feed; others, he distributes more, and the same goes for everyone else. All of our offensive sets, except for a few, are designed for the open guy. If it’s him, great … if it’s the other four, even better. Realizing he doesn’t have to throw up 15 to 20 shots a game is where he’s really grown.”
In this era of high school basketball, it’s not easy to convince a kid who’s used to scoring 20 a game that shooting less and picking his spots is the best way to go. But Creighton has sold Watson on the direction in which the Washington ship is sailing, and the Eagles look like a major contender in both the Public League and Class AAAA. In fact, in the most recent set of rankings issued by PennLive.com, Washington is the 5th-ranked AAAA team in the entire state, trailing just Roman Catholic, La Salle, Martin Luther King (perhaps the Eagles’ biggest hurdle to winning a league title) and North Allegheny.
Not too shabby for a school known as a football powerhouse over the years.
“It would mean a whole lot to me, because I’ve never gotten to the final four or a championship before,” Watson said. “We all love the game so much, and it’s so much fun, a dream come true to be state-ranked and undefeated atop our division. It’s almost unreal, to be honest with you, because I never expected this to happen in my life, ever. Just being here makes me want to keep winning and working hard, playing together as a team. If we do that, it will get us what we need, which is a championship.”
Washington has already defeated St. Joseph’s Prep and Archbishop Ryan from the Catholic League, and also ended Chester’s 45-game home winning streak earlier this season. Their only losses are to suburban Plymouth-Whitemarsh and hoops powerhouse Abraham Lincoln from Brooklyn, the alma mater of Stephon Marbury and Sebastian Telfair, both of whom played in the NBA. The Eagles will have another huge measuring stick on Monday when they take on Division A’s Imhotep Charter (4:15 p.m., at Martin Luther King High School), which Creighton says will show the team “where we’re at and if we can compete with those guys up there. We certainly think we have the talent.”
What also separates Washington from many of its competitors is the team’s ability and willingness to play stingy defense. Oftentimes, high school kids place a secondary emphasis on guarding, but not the Eagles; case in point: in a Jan. 13 win over Central, after trailing at halftime, Washington allowed just six second-half points en route to a 53–35 win.
That, Watson said, is what truly sets he and his teammates apart. In the win over Watson’s old team, Brown led the way with 21 points, which is just fine for the former Viking. After all, he’s just happy to be along for the ride.
“It’s special,” he said. “It’s all about passion, and you’ve got to want it. We believe anything is possible with hard work and defense. The beauty of it is we all want the same thing. A lot of us are seniors, so we don’t want to fall short. As a team and as a whole, we’re all chasing the same thing, and we know it’s about the team, not the individual. The experience is just beautiful, and our eyes are on the prize.”
