The following article is sponsored by Top Dog Direct on behalf of the Council Rock North boys’ basketball team.
By Jarrad Saffren
Program guys.
It’s a phrase often associated with college basketball programs that develop players for four years.
The programs develop the players, and the players become role models for the next batch of program guys. The point is to build the program, not to improve the draft stocks of players, because program guys are not NBA-caliber.
High school basketball in 2016 is not all that different. Public schools often lose college-caliber players to nearby private schools, who can recruit. So the public schools, like college programs that can’t get one-and-done NBA prospects, must depend on program guys that develop over a four-year period.
The Council Rock North boys basketball program is a prime example. Like most good public school programs, the Indians enjoy cyclical highs. From 2009-10 to 2011-12, CR North went 69-16 overall, 36-7 against Suburban One League National Conference opponents, and won the SOL National all three seasons.
That team was led by two players, Aaron Morgan and Arron Goodman, who went on to play college basketball.
“Basketball was their lives,” CR North coach Derek Wright said. “It was what they did every day.”
But the cyclical highs are just that: Cyclical. And when the cycle ends, a public school like North must turn to program guys.
The 2015-16 Indians are led by three.
Senior captains Riley Thompson, Will Desautelle, and Tyler Nowmos did not play starters’ minutes until their junior season in 2014-15, Thompson and Desautelle as starters, Nowmos as the sixth man. Thompson is the only one getting serious attention from college scouts, mainly from Division III programs.
But that is not an issue because all three have plenty of options and interests outside of basketball. Thompson has been accepted to Villanova University. Desautelle “does great in school,” said Wright, and goes on missionary trips with his church to a different country every summer. Nowmos is a three-sport athlete and natural leader.
“He always talks about communicating in practice, even while stretching and warming up,” Wright said. “He’s always talking to other guys. ‘Let’s go, let’s get talking.’ He’ll call out guys’ numbers like, ‘Come on 23.’”
“I like to make sure everyone’s talking and paying attention,” Nowmos said. “It keeps everyone upbeat and involved.”
But don’t be fooled. Thompson, Desautelle, and Nowmos may not play at the next level, but they have developed into all-league caliber high school players, and they are not simply the best players on a bad team.
CR North is 12-9 overall, 9-4 in SOL National play and projected as the 32nd and final seed in the District One Class AAAA Boys Basketball Playoffs by the latest unofficial power rankings. The Indians should get into the field with a win over Bensalem Thursday night, Senior Night at CR North.
In other words, the Indians are good.
“That’s one of our toughest matchups,” Pennsbury coach Bill Coleman said.
“They are physical and aggressive,” Harry S. Truman coach Byron Conover said.
The Indians are good because Thompson, Desautelle, and Nowmos know their roles and play them well, setting the tone for younger teammates.
“We’ve been playing with each other since middle school,” Desautelle said. “So we’re all really comfortable playing together at this point. Similar roles too. Ty has improved a lot over the years.”
Thompson is the scorer, the go-to-guy on offense. He has led North in scoring the last two seasons and averaged 22.7 points per game during a recent five-game winning streak. Thompson set a career-high for points in a game twice during the streak, scoring 25 in a win over Truman and 28 in a win over Council Rock South.
“I feel like ever since the calendar flipped to 2016 everything I’m putting up is going in,” Thompson said. “The rim looks a little wider psychologically.”
Coleman and Conover said Thompson is, “Fun to watch on film.”
“Whenever I play I just try to play as hard as I can,” Thompson said. “If it’s fun for other people to watch, that’s great. Sometimes I get a little out of control, but I do my best to play my own style and I guess it’s unique.”
Since North is a low-scoring, defensive-minded team, Thompson gets a lot of love from the media. This does not bother teammates because he’s earned it.
“They should be good with it because he’s helping them win games,” Wright said. “Riley has worked harder than anybody, shooting in the gym alone when the crowd’s not there and the media’s not there. That gives him the right to shoot as much as he does in games.”
Desautelle complements Thompson offensively, averaging 12 points per game. As North’s tallest starter at 6-foot-2, he also has to guard bigger centers almost every night. Desautelle was the same height as a freshman.
“We hoped he would grow to be 6’6, 6’7,” Wright said laughing. “It never came to be, but he still grew up to become a force inside for us.”
Desautelle plays volleyball in the spring and, in basketball, uses his leaping ability to shoot over taller players and block their shots.
“Volleyball is also a jumping sport, so it’s kind of similar,” Desautelle said. “You have to be a quick jumper. When you rebound you have to be quick up and down.”
Though not a traditional back-to-the-basket big man, Desautelle does not have to be in North’s offense.
“The way we run our offense, the forward is on the perimeter a lot,” Wright said. Desautelle often catches the ball at the free throw line or top of the key and hands off to Thompson while setting a screen. He also kicks to shooters on the wings and in the corners.
Nowmos is what Wright calls a “glue-guy.” In layman’s terms, Nowmos does a little bit of everything. He rebounds, makes three-pointers, and often guards an opponent’s top scorer.
“He understands scouting reports and player tendencies well,” Wright said. “He takes pride in it and enjoys it.”
Nowmos is also the team clown.
“There’s always a smile on his face,” Wright said. “We’ll crack jokes with him, and he gets a kick out of it. Our entire staff likes busting him and he’ll bust back.”
Of the three captains, Nowmos, a three-sport athlete, focuses on basketball the least, making his career that much more impressive.
“He gives you everything he has when he’s with you for those few months,” Wright said. “He got good time his sophomore year. He just plays during basketball season, so to be a sophomore and get time is pretty significant.”
“I always guarded the other team’s best player as a sophomore,” Nowmos said. “That was my role. Strictly defensive.”
Thompson, Desautelle, and Nowmos are not the only seniors on North’s roster. Forward Matt Baniewicz, guard Elliot Spicer, and guard Anthony Stefani round out the class. Baniewicz and Spicer come off the bench, and have contributed when given the opportunity. Baniewicz played key minutes in the first half last Friday against CR South, when Desautelle had two fouls.
“He got to the free throw line and defended well. He helped us keep the lead even with Will on the bench,” Wright said. “He’s a great teammate. He didn’t play much at all in the second half but is the guy who after the game in the locker room is going to be fired up that we won.”
Spicer made varsity for the first time this season and played significant minutes in the first three games, when Thompson was out with a broken finger.
“He’s very smart and understands the game,” Wright said. “He’s good passing the basketball, running our offense, getting offensive boards here and there. He’ll hit an open shot if we need it. He’s been a real pleasant surprise.”
On Dec. 9, in a 48-38 win over Bristol, Spicer scored eight points, draining two big three-pointers in the second half.
Stefani is the high school equivalent of a practice squad player. He was cut before last season but came back out in November and made the team.
“We knew he could help us in practice with Riley out,” Wright said.
A 5-foot-5, 125 pound fan favorite, Stefani is the Rudy of CR North.
“Students want him in the game. They are mad at me cause I’m not playing him,” Wright said laughing. “He’s such a likable kid.”
All six are likable kids because they have worked so hard to improve.
“They reflect why as a coaching staff you put the time and effort into it,” Wright said. “Being able to see the growth. They are not coming in as highly touted or DI prospects. They are community kids who went through community programs and played middle school ball together. Seeing them succeed as seniors is really gratifying.”
Even if the Indians miss the playoffs, the seniors can be proud of what they’ve accomplished.
“Coach Wright always talks about things that don’t show up on stat sheet like setting the tone on the defensive end, being good leaders,” Desautelle said. “Us three captains have really done a good job of that this year. That will transfer over to following years when younger guys will step up.”
“They’ve accomplished enough on the court and represent us really well off the court and in the classroom,” Wright said. “They are a group you can tell younger guys about, ‘This group when they were seniors, this is what they did, this is how they did it.’ When they come back for our alumni games, they’ll feel proud.” 
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