Unionville boys are on an eight-game tear, looking to make a run at a league title

With the basketball regular season winding down, Unionville’s boys are playing their best game at the right time of year.

“I think we’ve improved in a lot of areas,” coach Chris Cowles said. “But there’s certainly aspects that we have to continue to improve upon.”

The Longhorns are 17-2 overall and 8-0 in the Ches-Mont League. They’ve been dispatching their division foes with ease, including a 30-point win against a West Chester Rustin squad that’s fourth in the American Division on Jan. 23. They’ve won eight straight games since a loss to Plymouth Whitemarsh on Dec. 30. A loss to Malvern Prep on Dec. 8 is the only other blemish on the schedule.

Senior James “JT” Anderson’s growth as the de facto point guard has been notable. He has four double-doubles this season, although he’s reluctant to take all the credit for his numbers.

“It starts with [senior wing Charlie Kammeier],” Anderson said. “Whenever they make a shot and whenever he gets a rebound, he gets it to me up and quickly and it helps me get the ball up early. I’m getting the assists, but he’s getting the hockey assists and that’s what matters.

“It’s really just him doing his job, me doing my job, and then we have people running wide into the corners and they’re getting into the spots to be ready to shoot the ball. It’s not me, it’s everybody on the team being connected.”

A first team all-league selection alongside Kammeier last season, Anderson has elevated his play even more as a senior.

“He’s improved in every aspect,” Cowles said. “I think this year obviously it’s his strength, making routine plays, and his shooting has improved drastically. I think he’s matured a lot and you see that in his game.”

The third member of their three-headed backcourt is senior Ryan Brown, who’s often the recipient of those dimes. He’s a lethal threat from beyond the arc. Then there are senior forward Nick Diehl and sophomore wing/forward James Brenner. With the way the Longhorns are playing, it could be anyone’s night.

» READ MORE: Bubble watch: Boys’ basketball teams fighting for final District 1 playoff spots

“We have good players that are bought into the principles of our program and guys are playing with effort, they’re playing with unselfishness,” Cowles said. “They’re applying the skills and their talents are shining through.”

As last year’s Ches-Mont League and District 1 Class 5A runner-up, Unionville has been preparing for a run back to the title game all offseason. The Longhorns played a tough nonleague schedule that included wins over Spring-Ford, the Haverford School, Central Dauphin, and others. Now there are only a few games left until the postseason begins, including two division games.

The Longhorns are favorites to take home the division title and go into the Ches-Mont playoffs as one of the top seeds.

Next up is a home game against Kennett on Thursday and a non-division game Saturday at Coatesville, which could be a Ches-Mont championship preview, though West Chester Henderson is also at the top of the standings in the Chest-Mont National Division.

Unionville is hoping that last year’s playoff experience pays off this time around.

“Last year, there was definitely nerves, we didn’t really know what we were walking into,” Anderson said. “Now it just seems like regular games going forward. Obviously they mean more because it’s postseason — you lose, you’re out — but it seems like regular games. We’re all looking forward to the playoffs, no one’s scared of the playoffs. We’re ready.”

This story was produced as part of a partnership between The Inquirer and City of Basketball Love, a nonprofit news organization that covers high school and college basketball in the Philadelphia area while also helping mentor the next generation of sportswriters. This collaboration will help boost coverage of the city’s vibrant amateur basketball scene, from the high school ranks up through the Big 5 and beyond.