Crown Point senior guard Bryce Peters’ demeanor and approach on the court typically don’t change.
Peters is who he is, and that’s a good thing for the Bulldogs.
“Steadiness,” Crown Point coach Clint Swan said. “He’s very solid. There’s a solidness to him. We were just talking about this — that with successful teams versus unsuccessful teams, you look at the trajectory of their performance, and it’s lots of ups and downs and lots of peaks and valleys. We told the players, ‘Yeah, you might go up sometimes, but we’re down here too much.’ We have to eliminate the dips that we have. The best teams, the very best teams, are always right there. They always live right there.
“That’s Bryce. He’ll make some spectacular plays and make some huge shots. But he takes care of the basketball. He’s where he’s supposed to be defensively. He knows how important shot selection is. When one of your most talented guys understands how important it is to be solid, that’s huge. That gives you a chance to be successful. It forces other talented guys to fall in line. He’s great about that.”
Peters was quite good last season in his debut with the Bulldogs, who open this season ranked No. 2 in the state coaches poll after winning their second consecutive regional title and reaching a semistate final. He averaged 8.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and a team-high 3.9 assists.
Still, Peters acknowledged there was a period of acclimation last season, his third as a starter but his first at Crown Point after transferring from Merrillville.
“I’m fitting in more than last year,” he said. “I was still adjusting. Now I feel more adjusted to the system. Last year, I was kind of nervous because I just got here. I just didn’t know how people felt about me coming in. I just know with me personally, I came in here just to play my role and help the team win. I didn’t come here to hurt anybody’s feelings.”
Peters certainly helped the Bulldogs.
“Bryce was the best defender in the area. … He was a perfect addition for us and played well offensively too,” Swan said.
Crown Point senior guard/forward Dikembe Shaw, an Illinois-Chicago commit, also praised Peters’ performance.
“Bryce has been phenomenal,” Shaw said. “Since transferring here, he’s been a great player on and off the court. A lot of us seniors grew up playing with him, so we were familiar with his basketball game. Now it’s just seeing him in school every day.
“His offense is great. He’s a fast player. He’s one of the best defenders in the state. He’s helping our team out a lot.”
From elementary school through middle school, Peters played on the same AAU team with Shaw; senior guard Mason Darrell, a Bellarmine commit; and senior guards Kingston and Kaiden Rhodes.
“We all have chemistry,” Peters said. “We’ve been playing with each other for so long. We’ve been playing together since we were kids.”
Peters aims to build on that foundation.
“I’ve grown as a player and as a person, everything, especially with coach Swan and my teammates,” he said. “They really helped me with doing that. We’ve created a great bond. I love it here.
“And then I’ve been staying in the gym consistently, just on my own time. I’m just trying to be better than last year.”
Swan can attest to Peters’ focus.
“The fact that he came in here new and was starting over in a sense, it has kept his eye on the ball,” Swan said. “There wasn’t this need to come out and prove himself. He came out here and was himself.
“After being with the group for a week or two, it was just like, ‘OK, that’s all I have to do. I just have to be myself out here.’ The guys understand how good he is. They know he’s really good. There was acceptance right off the top when he got here. He understands what we need, and he brings it every day.”
Peters believes the Bulldogs have adeptly handled the hype surrounding them.
“We pay attention to it, but at the same time, we don’t,” he said. “We block it all out. All of those rankings, they don’t matter. As soon as the ball jumps in the air, it’s go time. We know no team in the state can mess with us. No matter what the rankings say, we just know we’re better than them.
“One percent better every day. We grow as a team every day. We know nobody in front of us can stop us. We have to have that confidence.”
