Stewart Johnson
Bad starts and missed opportunities sunk the Carroll boys basketball team’s chances in 2022. Although the team made strides in David Markley’s second year as head coach, it wasn’t enough to end a postseason drought that extended to four years last season.
The Dragons found themselves behind the eight ball after a 1-5 start in district last winter but rallied with a 5-1 stretch late in district play before losing their final two games in 4-6A competition — both by four-point margins. They wound up compiling a 6-8 district record and finished in fifth, just one spot shy of a playoff berth.
Experience and hard work gives the Dragons a great chance to return to postseason play this year, as Carroll (17-6 overall, 4-2 in district at the halfway point) looks on the cusp of reversing its recent playoff drought.
“We try to move on from the past year, but it still burns in them,” Markley says of missing the playoffs in 2023. “They know how close we were, and it's fixing those mistakes that we made last year and making sure they don't happen this year. I think our guys right now have the right mindset to do that.”
Markley points to key players leading the charge like 6-foot-4 senior guard Christian O’Connor (13.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists per game), who plays both shooting and point guard positions. Key difference makers also include 6-foot-5 senior Jack Lawson (15.7 points, 7.4 rebounds) and 6-foot-3 junior Ari Tumma (14.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists).
Junior Oakley Sarshar served as a backup last season but is now the starting point guard in charge of running the offense. Although not a huge scorer, he leads the team in assists (3.9 per game) and creates plenty of scoring opportunities.
“We can't survive without him,” Markley says of Sarshar. “He gets us set up where we need to be.”
This year’s roster also boasts a youth movement with 6-foot-5 Brody Knowles. The freshman small forward has shown a lot of potential on the court, and just like his older brother Graham, he shows off his hands as a wide receiver on the gridiron.
Challenged by quality competition in early-season contests, the Dragons responded and stepped up their game. Winning the Magnolia Tournament in the Houston area was a good test, as Carroll defeated a very talented and athletic Fort Bend Travis team 55-38 in the championship game. Markley also noted a 67-52 win over Cedar Hill and a 48-45 overtime win over Eastern Hills — a team ranked No. 1 in Class 4A by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches — as good measuring sticks for the Dragons.
Entering district play, Carroll has seen some strong competition again in district leader Keller (19-5, 5-0 in 4-6A and ranked No. 21 in 6A by TABC), Keller Central (11-14, 4-1) and Northwest Eaton (17-6, 2-2). But the Dragons are winning games they let slip away last year and bouncing back from district road losses in the first half to Keller and Eaton to stay right in the middle of the playoff race.
“I think it's our guys’ mindset and the way they prepare every day,” Markley says. “We tell our guys that confidence comes from your work. And these guys, they put in the work, they put in the time. They're shooting before school, after school, getting it done by training every day, and I think that's where their confidence comes from.”
As reported on Feb. 15, 2024.