Naugatuck blends talents on the court

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Naugatuck’s Jean Lukau (5) drives to the basket past Seymour’s Jaylen Crawford (1) Jan. 19 at Naugatuck High School. Lukau is one of the top scorers in the Naugatuck Valley League this season. –ELIO GUGLIOTTI

NAUGATUCK — In the words of Naugatuck boys basketball head coach Mike Wilson, the Greyhounds aren’t a one-man show.

The team wasn’t a one-man show when Wilson, who graduated in 1999 as the Greyhounds’ all-time scoring leader with 1,642 points, lit it up as a senior to lead the Naugatuck Valley League with an average of 25.1 points per game.

It took an entire team effort to reach back-to-back state quarterfinal appearances in 1998 and 1999 while going 38-8 over those two years. Wilson may have been the go-to guy at crunch time but he didn’t score all the points for the ‘Hounds.

Eighteen years have passed since Wilson’s heyday, and now the Greyhounds have another prolific scorer in Jean (pronounced John) Lukau, who was second in the NVL with 24.3 points per game as of last week.

Lukau has nine 20-point games this season, including a season-high 41 points in a 78-73 win over Wilby on Dec. 21.

The junior transferred from Bridgeport Central last season and immediately made an impact with his scoring prowess.

“Teams come to compete every night in the NVL,” Lukau said. “Actually, when I came here I had a big head, and when I started playing team basketball I realized how successful we can be playing together.

“We have so many factors of our game that are clicking right now, and it’s not all about how many points I score. That takes a tremendous amount of pressure off me.”

Naugatuck stands at 8-4 after falling to perennial state power Sacred Heart, 74-49, Tuesday night.

The Greyhounds hung around and trialed 39-30 at halftime before Sacred Heart (11-2) pulled away in the third quarter. Lukau led the Greyhounds with 25 points against the Hearts.

“Coach keeps me playing within myself. I always kid him about passing his scoring mark,” Lukau said. “But since day one I’ve learned this is not a one-man show. Maybe no one expected us to be where we are, but they are now asking who let the dogs out.”

The Greyhounds’ 8-4 record is about more than scoring. There’s the stout defense, the sturdy presence in the paint battling for rebounds, and the spinning moves of a point guard who can break the half court pressure.

Caleb Scott has been the most effective defender for the ‘Hounds, who allowed 45 points per game during a recent four-game winning streak. Jaden Bennett, Jesse Lanci and Jayden Anderson have made their presence felt of the defensive end as well.

“Defense wins games,” Scott said. “It really matters the kind of intensity we bring into each game. When we lock up and play together, good things happen.”

Naugatuck may not be the tallest team under the boards, but Latrel Deveaux gives the Greyhounds a fighting chance and leads the team in rebounds. Derrick Jagello is another all-around athlete who can contribute on the boards and in the scoring column.

“We go against teams in the NVL that have dominant big men, and our presence in the paint is huge,” Deveaux said. “We are not the biggest team, so it’s up to me and the rest of the guys to do what we have to, boxing out and battling for every rebound.”

When it comes time to put the ball on the floor Elijah Robinson can maneuver with the best of them, finishing drives with a spin move that leaves defenders reaching for thin air.

“I just try and penetrate knowing that I have good shooters around to dish it off to when we are open,” Robinson said. “Jean is the leading scorer, but we have a lot more weapons on this team. Everyone has confidence to take the shot. We are not just looking for Jean every time down the court.”

Naugatuck has shown the ability to spread the ball around with several players posting double-digit scoring numbers.

“Like I’ve been saying, this is not a one-man show,” Wilson said. “We have guys who can contribute. Latrel is not only a battler for us getting rebounds, he can drop double digits for us.

“Caelb and Jesse have both hit double-digits a couple of times. Elijah is a special talent, he has a great basketball IQ and that’s what you want in a point guard. Now, if we can only get him to keep his composure at times we can keep him out of foul trouble.”

Naugy had a similar team in 2015 with a scoring leader in Dayvon Russell, a ferocious defense led by Jason Bradley, and a strong inside game on the boards led by Jarron Chapman. The Greyhounds, who finished the 2015 regular season 16-4, got hot in the postseason and marched all the way to the Class L state finals for the first time since 1974.

Does this team have the same tenacity to fend off all challengers? That remains to be seen, as there is still a lot of basketball left. Wilson warns they can get ahead of themselves and need to take it one game at a time.

“We have so much talent on this team that it seems like every game we are taking it to another level,” Lukau said. “The games are actually easier than our practices. Coach really has us ready to play to the best of our ability.”

The Greyhounds will host Ansonia on Friday and Simsbury on Saturday. Naugatuck will head to Woodland next Tuesday.