HOPE — Clayton and Connor Wilson have played plenty basketball games in the driveway of their Schaefer Lake home while growing up, and they acknowledge it sometimes got a little testy.
“Outside on our basketball court, we’d play one-on-one, and it would get pretty intense,” Connor Wilson said. “I think there were a lot of fouls.”
These days, the fraternal twins play most of their hoops inside at Hauser High School. They’re the only two senior starters for the Jets, who on Saturday won the sectional title.
Griff Roth, who has coached the Wilsons at the JV and varsity level the past three years, calls them a huge part of the team.
“We have a scorer in Connor, and then we have a great defender in Clayton,” Roth said. “It’s been a real joy having those guys with me the past three years.”
Connor, a 6-foot-2 small forward, averages 15.2 points a game, just three-tenths of a point behind 6-7 junior Alex Gross, who leads the team in scoring. Connor Wilson leads Hauser with 59 3-pointers.
Earlier this season, Connor scored a career-high 35 points in a 75-71 win at Waldron.
“He’s just a phenomenal shooter,” Roth said. “He can go off at any time. If somebody asked me if he could get 30 at any given time, I’d say ‘Yes.’ He just has a lot of basketball skills.”
While Connor has been in the starting lineup the past two years, Clayton split time between the JV and varsity last season. He began this year as the sixth man but moved into the lineup late in the regular season.
Although Clayton, at 6-foot-1, averages only 4.2 points a game, he usually draws the toughest defensive assignment.
“He usually stays with (the opposing player) and does a great job,” Roth said. “Clayton is probably our best defender, but he does a multitude of things. He handles the ball at the (shooting guard) spot, and is really good on the inside as as far as his offensive moves. He’s just a really good all-around player.”
Clayton also played soccer all four years and has run track, but plans to play golf this spring. Connor played soccer his first three years and ran track last year.
Saturday’s 64-61 upset win against Class A No. 6 Oldenburg Academy gave the Wilsons their first sectional title in any sport and the Jets their first baskeball sectional title since 2012.
“It’s pretty cool,” Clayton said. “All of the fans were excited to see it, and so were we.”
Clayton, who is headed to Trine University to major in software engineering, is nearing the end of his competitive basketball career. Connor, on the other hand, will continue playing basketball at Heidelberg (Ohio).
Both are hoping their high school basketball careers can last a couple of more weeks. Hauser will play in the Martinsville Regional on Saturday, and with a pair of wins there, would be in the state’s final four.
“We just have to come focused and ready to play,” Connor said.
His brother agreed.
“Oldenburg was sixth in the state, and we beat them, so I feel like we can beat any team,” Clayton said.
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Martinsville Regional
Saturday
10 a.m.: Indianapolis Tindley (20-5) vs. Shakamak (15-10)
Noon: Hauser (16-9) vs. Indianapolis Lutheran (11-12)
8 p.m.: Championship
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