09:15 PM CST on Wednesday, January 17, 2007

By TODD WILLS / The Dallas Morning News

Over the last three months, the Plano boys and Plano West girls have adjusted to being hunted basketball teams.

As defending state champions, they get every opponent's best effort. They lost good players to colleges, but their coaches say the key components remain for another lengthy playoff run.

"This team can be good," Plano West coach Don Patterson said. "But you also try to remind them that it's not the same team."

Added Plano's Tom Inman: "We're actually further along than we were last year. We really didn't peak until we got in the playoffs."

Plano West girls hit stride

Plano West (21-6) won its seventh consecutive game Tuesday, crushing Wylie, 52-35, to improve to 9-0 in District 9-5A. With a three-game lead and a tiebreaker advantage over second-place Plano, Plano West is on its way to another district title.

The season didn't start that merrily. On Nov. 7, Plano West lost its opener at South Grand Prairie, 50-43. Only one Plano West player, Micah Garoutte, scored in double figures. Kathleen Nash, the go-to player, missed that game because she was still playing volleyball. But even after Nash came out for basketball, the team lost to Irving MacArthur; to the area's No. 1 ranked team, Rockwall; twice to Duncanville, and once to Amarillo Palo Duro. Plano West hasn't lost since the one-point loss to Palo Duro in the Duncanville Sandra Meadows Classic.

Nash, who is Texas-bound, has cranked up her game, averaging 17.2 points and 9.1 rebounds. Garoutte has been a consistent second option.

Junior point guard Katie Makanani has adjusted to running the team and is averaging 3.2 points. Becca Feagin has filled Rachel Hester's role as Plano West's 3-point gunner, knocking down 30 so far. Taylor Shead, like Makanani and Feagin, has a better idea of what it takes to be a starter rather than a bench player.

Looking ahead to the playoffs, Rockwall could loom in the Region II final. But other top area teams, including the District 8-5A powers, are in Region I.

"We're in a good spot right now," Patterson said. "We still play a bit inconsistently. We haven't played our best game so far. But we're going in the right direction."

Plano leans on Roberson

Inman can tell his team that Plano had eight losses entering last year's playoffs. Only those close to the program believed Plano had the makings of a state championship team.

And the player who was the reason is still on the roster.

Point guard John Roberson gives Plano a chance to win every night. Asked to be a scorer this year with Joseph Fulce and Eric Zastoupil having left for college, Roberson leads all 5A scorers, averaging 25.5 points.

He is scoring and also making his teammates better. Roberson is second in the area with 7.2 assists per game. He is having an MVP season.

"We can go anywhere with John," Inman said. "He is our leader."

Last season Plano overcame a team-questioning three-game losing streak in December and won 20 of its last 23 games. Plano's swoon came later this season, with consecutive losses right after New Year's to Lake Highlands and Richardson Berkner.

Plano has responded with three straight wins, including the biggest one so far, a 56-48 victory Tuesday at Plano East. Roberson had 23 points, but it's what Plano's role players did in the victory that could be a sign of things to come.

Guard Rex Burkhead had 14 points, hit two clutch 3-pointers and combined with Roberson for 19 points in the fourth quarter. Guards Landon Skinner and Reggie Britton each had seven points. Plano held its own on the boards, the one area that nagged it in the losses to Lake Highlands and Berkner.

If Plano can get more consistent post play from Greg Harrell, Anton Korolev, Raahul Ramakrishnan and Adam Chisholm, another trip to Austin isn't out of the question.

"We're still thinking big things," Inman said. "We had a taste of it last year, and we want to get back there again."

E-mail twills@dallasnews.com

TWO FOR TWO?

The Plano boys and Plano West girls are trying to repeat as Class 5A state basketball champions. Can they do it? Here's a look at how they stand:

Plano boys
Record: 18-5 (29-8 last season)

Why they can repeat: Point guard John Roberson is having an MVP season, averaging 25.5 points and 7.2 assists.

Barrier to repeat: Inconsistent in the post with its rebounding and defense.

Plano West girls
Record: 21-6 (35-6 last season)

Why they can repeat: Kathleen Nash doesn't have big sister Kristen around, but she still averages close to a double-double in points and rebounds

Barrier to repeat: Rockwall, last year's runner-up, is even more formidable.