Junior guard Josh Perkins doing it all for young Regis Jesuit
It would appear that Tubby is not banking on Tyus signing like he did with Corey Joseph, I wouldn't think he would sign two PG in one class.
Yep
--link of story at bottom...
AURORA — Sometimes the young have to lead the younger. Ask Josh Perkins. Regis Jesuit's do-it-all guard is not only being asked to do it all, but he is doing it all.
"You know what, he's handling it pretty darned good for a 17-year-old kid," Raiders boys basketball coach Ken Shaw said. "The expectations are high, but you have to remind yourself that he's still a junior in high school."
Perkins, 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds, knew what the 2012-13 season was going to be like the second Regis Jesuit was eliminated from last season's Class 5A state tournament after three consecutive championships from 2009-11. He understood he would be one of nine underclassmen on the roster, including six sophomores, with only one senior who would log anything resembling significant minutes.
"I don't have a problem with it," Perkins said as Colorado re-opened play Tuesday following the mandatory holiday break. "As a leader, I have to bring their game up with mine. I have to play for them to play well. I'm just lifting them up and encouraging them."
Through nine games, it seems to be working. The Raiders are 6-3 against a strong schedule that will include a Friday night matchup against nearby rival Grandview, which is ranked No. 4 in The Denver Post 5A coaches/media poll.
Predictably, Perkins leads the Raiders in every category of consequence, and by wide margins. Perkins is averaging 26.1 points (also tops in 5A). The next Raider, sophomore Bryan Stearkel, is at 9.1. Perkins has shot 110 free throws; sophomore Kip Boryla is second with 20. Perkins has 48 assists; senior Eric Stemper follows with 12. Perkins has had to up his rebounding (7.6) and Stearkel follows with a reasonable 5.8.
Yes, there's a pattern here.
"He does a lot for us," junior Zach Smith said. "He creates a lot, and it's our job to finish and score when we need to because (opposing teams) put so much pressure and attention on him and it opens opportunities for us."
Potentially, there's also a dark side to all of it that can turn pitch black. Perkins far and away leads the team in turnovers (41) and he shot just 2-of-20 from behind the 3-point line over the first two games. He already possessed a quick trigger finger once inside half-court, but while Shaw and other Raiders are mindful of it, they foresee few problems and agree that their best path to becoming a challenger statewide is with Perkins in the lead.
"It's all a gradual process," Shaw said. "Yes, he can handle it because of his experience (Perkins was a starter and all-state honorable mention choice by The Denver Post as a sophomore) and obviously he's capable of doing it. A lot of people, the common bystander, looks at him scoring a lot, but it's just part of the things he needs to bring to the table for us to do well."
Smith added, "We're not going to resent his talent. I think he's the best in state. It's an honor playing with him; he makes the game more fun."
Stemper minced no words, including when Perkins forced a shot or threw up a prayer when triple-teamed: "We know Josh has to score his points. Even a tough shot by him is a good shot for our team. We know that."
And the rest of the Raiders may be realizing their potential by following their leader. Their leader got in foul trouble Dec. 22 against Cherokee Trail and had to sit on the bench. The Raiders trailed by 10 points, Shaw said, "but we actually cut into the deficit." And Regis Jesuit won, 54-52.
"It was beneficial," Shaw said.
Perkins, who counts 30 college offers to date, said he's just trying to make his team the best it can be and "I like being in this situation. In the long run, it will make me a better player, not just a one-thing guy as a point guard."
By mid-month, he hopes to sit down with his father and pare the recruiting suitors to a more-manageable half-dozen or so. The University of Colorado has displayed significant interest and Perkins appreciates it, although his college choice won't necessarily center on staying home or heading elsewhere.
The native Coloradan has a 3.4 grade-point average and is considering engineering or something associated with athletic training. Just as long as it includes big-time ball.
For now, he said, "It's about getting ready to win (the Continental) League and getting better."
And that's even if he has to do everything.
http://www.denverpost.com/preps/ci_22300444/junior-guard-doing-it-all-young-regis
