Taking one for the team: North Crowley forward excels at drawing charges
In 18 years as North Crowley boys basketball coach, Tommy Brakel has kept every record imaginable.
A school mark that was recently eclipsed was charges taken, by forward Kevin Ellis.
A Jan. 2 bump by a Fort Worth Paschal player meant Ellis drew the charging call to give him 70 for his two-year career — surpassing the previous mark of 69 by Dontee Kinney (2007-08 and 2008-09).
“It’s just a natural instinct, something that comes to me,” said Ellis, whose team visited Arlington Sam Houston on Tuesday night. “I’m a football player also, so I love contact.”
Ellis, a varsity linebacker and free safety, set the basketball team’s single-season record with 49 charges taken in 36 games last season.
“Kevin does an incredible job at it and may very well be the best player that I have ever seen at taking the charge,” Brakel said. “Kevin has had pure heart since Day One — not easy to stand there and let someone run you over.”
Entering Tuesday, he had taken 22 charges this season, while the Panthers had taken 72 as a team.
“I’ve been taking charges ever since I can remember touching a ball,” said Ellis, who set the team’s single-game mark with six against Arlington Bowie last season. “I was told I played football on the basketball court.”
That willingness to give up his body has been noticed by other District 4-6A foes as well.
Love that kid, he has such a huge heart. I can see the potential in him to be a Defensive Player of the Year candidate.
Fort Worth Paschal coach David Watson
“Just have to be smart on when to attack, have to know where he is and make sure to stay in control when going to the rim,” Arlington Martin player Conner Lidiak said.
Martin’s Kam Malbrough added about Ellis: “His charges can be game-changing to benefit [North Crowley] and the tempo they want you to play.”
Coaches are also wary of Ellis.
“Love that kid, he has such a huge heart,” said Fort Worth Paschal coach David Watson, who spent 2011-12 and 2012-13 as a North Crowley assistant. “I can see the potential in him to be a Defensive Player of the Year candidate.”
Ellis “is the type of player every team needs, someone to rely on and have your back,” Arlington Bowie coach Allen Gratts added.
Of course, during a game, some might say he’s displaying good acting instead of good defense.
“Oh yeah, guys will be saying that’s not a charge or that was a flop,” Ellis said. “Some coaches have come up and encouraged me and have told me, ‘Good job.’ ”
Brakel maintains it’s a skill, not an act.
“You’ll get that now and again,” the North Crowley coach said, “but he does such a good job that he really doesn’t flop, and I know some will argue more that he’s getting there late.
“But he’s really not much of a flopper,” Brakel says. “He’s up and he takes it and he does as good of a job as anybody.”
As unconventional it may be to keep charges as a school record, Brakel is one of the few coaches in the state who emphasizes that area of the game, which causes opponents to address the tactic in practice.
“That’s something we talk about, focus on leading up to games with North Crowley,” said Gratts, who has been coaching against Brakel for years. “We want to be aggressive going to the bucket, but most likely will get called for a charge or two. They do an outstanding job of getting in front of the basketball.”
Last year, North Crowley drew 128 charging calls, shattering the previous mark of 97.
“Tommy is a different kind of guy. I had never really seen so much emphasis on [charges] before, but that’s why he’s won so many games,” Watson added. “It’s attention to detail that separates him from everyone else.”
Ellis, who is from Mississippi, moved to Fort Worth in the seventh grade and has been playing basketball and football since age 5. He was the 4-6A Newcomer of the Year last season.
“And his biggest stat was taking charges,” Brakel said. “So the coaches recognize not just the charges, but the dirty work in general that he does.”
This story was originally published January 19, 2016 at 1:59 PM with the headline "Taking one for the team: North Crowley forward excels at drawing charges."