How Luke Patton holds things together in the middle for Roland-Story boys basketball

Looking at the stat sheet following Roland-Story's 53-36 season-opening victory over Gilbert on Thursday, Norse center Luke Patton stands out.

Patton posted a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. He also blocked three shots to help the Norsemen easily overcome the injuries to their three primary ball-handlers to defeat the Tigers.

But it was just another day at the office for the powerful 6-foot-5 center, who hopes to lead Roland-Story back to the state tournament in March.

“He’s just a force in the middle,” said Roland-Story coach Darrin Berggren. “He allows our guards to get out and be aggressive on the defensive end because he’s a rim protector and he rebounds the ball so well. He just really makes us go.” 

Patton averaged a double-double during Roland-Story's state tournament run last season. He put up 10.7 points and 10.9 rebounds per game to help the Norsemen make the state tournament for the first time in a decade and finish 22-3, including a perfect 14-0 mark in the Heart of Iowa Conference.

“I know my role as a rebounder and defender,” Patton said. “I’ve got Isaiah (Naylor) and Jon (Jonovan Wilkinson) and all of those shooters to complement me. I know my role as a big man inside and I’m good with that.” 

Wilkinson, who averaged 14.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists last year, missed Thursday's game with an ankle injury. Naylor, the top scorer for Roland-Story, netted 22 points against Gilbert but had to sit out most of the fourth quarter after cramping up.

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Norsemen junior guard Boaz Clark also cramped up during the second half. Those three losses really took a toll on Roland-Story down the stretch as Gilbert outscored the Norsemen 14-3 in the fourth quarter to get back into the game.

But having Patton on the floor made things a lot less stressful.

“We have him taking the ball out against the press,” Berggren said. “With his size, he can see over most traps and defenses. He’s a pretty good decision-maker. We lost our top three primary ball handlers and the guys stepped up and made just enough plays to pull it out.” 

Patton was key in Roland-Story building a big enough lead to withstand Gilbert's late charge.

“He’s stepped up pretty good on the boards and the defensive end,” Naylor said. “On the offensive end, he did a really good job of helping us push the ball up the floor and keep on going.” 

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Patton has taken the most pride in his ability to control the paint defensively.

“My biggest improvement is my defensive effort,” Patton said. “Playing some AAU this year really taught me to play up on people.” 

But he's also getting more comfortable as a scorer and passer.

“You can see his confidence is continuing to grow,” Berggren said. “He’s played four years of varsity — three as a starter — and he’s really worked on his footwork and keeping guys in front of him. We’ve got some guys who can score on the perimeter, so him making those post moves inside where he is going to demand a double team is just going to free up guys. We’re really excited for him and the growth he’s made from last year to this year.”

With Patton's development, Roland-Story should be a force to be reckoned with once everyone is back healthy.

“Looking at this game and seeing how much high intensity we can play with having all these injuries, I’m looking forward to everyone being healthy and seeing what we can do at 100%,” Patton said. 

The Norse center thinks his team can win another HOIC title and make a deeper run in the state tournament at the end of the season.

“We have so much bigger aspirations,” Patton said. “Going out first game at state and losing was really hard on all of us. We have bigger goals this year.”