BRISTOL, Tenn. – Denzel Gilmore knows his teammates have his back. How does Gilmore know? Because he isn’t having to shoot as much.
Gilmore, a 5-foot-10, 175-pound senior guard for the Tennessee High Vikings, has been allowed to take a more passive role in the Vikings’ offense this season as others have stepped to the front.
Yes, Gilmore is still potent from the perimeter. Yes, Gilmore is still quick, agile and capable of driving in, pulling up and popping from mid-range. But as Tennessee High (17-7, 11-1 Big Nine Conference) has evolved from a team with potential into one of the premier squads in the Big Nine, Gilmore’s game has also diversified.
He passes more, serving as a facilitator for a Vikings offense that utilizes motion-heavy sets, screens and decoys to find open shooters. And he defends more, keying a Vikings attack that has held six of its last eight opponents below 50 points.
It’s a new, different Gilmore. Someone whose game has changed. But also someone who is comfortable with his role on a team that has won eight straight contests and sits on top of the Big Nine, heading into tonight’s 8 p.m. contest against Dobyns-Bennett (18-4, 9-2) at Viking Hall.
“We have so many scorers this year, I can actually pass the ball around,” Gilmore said. “Cause that’s what I like to do. I don’t really like to shoot much – even though I am a great shooter.”
Gilmore finished the sentence with a laugh. And he sounded at ease discussing his thoughts on what has turned the Vikings from possible contenders into a team with a legitimate chance at capturing the Big Nine regular-season title – if the Vikings can hold off D-B and Science Hill.
“We have a saying: A good team becomes a great team when the players on the team sacrifice the me for the we,” Gilmore said. “We follow that. And we come out every day and come out every night playing like that.”
Gilmore has deferred to teammates Corey Young, Mason Canty and Tre’ Webb when the Vikings need points this season. But he’s still a serious shooter. Gilmore has a quick release, a soft, smooth stroke, and is one of Tennessee High’s premier outside offensive threat. Yet his willingness to sacrifice personal numbers for wins is a symbol of the confidence and selflessness that has come to characterize the 2008-09 Vikings.
In addition, Gilmore, who concentrated on weightlifting and conditioning during the offseason, has placed an increased focus on his ability to rebound – a trait most shoot-first guards rarely embrace.
“I don’t really want to rely on my 3 [-point shot] this year,” Gilmore said.
As Gilmore has changed his game, the Vikings have soared. Young and Webb have established themselves as two of the top perimeter shooters in the conference, while Canty and junior forward Taylor Harmon provide a powerful one-two punch in the paint. Backed by Gilmore’s soft touch from outside – always waiting, always ready – Tennessee High is arguably the only team in the Big Nine with five starters who possess the ability to dominate and take over a game.
“We are who we hoped we would be,” Vikings coach Roby Witcher said. “We feel pretty good about our team.”
btsmith@bristolnews.com | (276) 645-2569
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