‘Duo Brothers’ have Central poised for basketball title repeat

They call themselves “Duo Brothers.”

“As in two,” Cash Williams says of Cam’Ron Wilson and himself.

As in two Central High guards with major-college ability. “Yes, definitely, D-I talent,” Grizzlies coach Greg Streets says.

As in two distinguished by their offense – Williams the sensational slasher; Wilson the brilliant bomber – yet equally efficient defensively.

As in two with opposite hands – Williams the left-hander; Wilson the right-hander.

As in two long, lean and mean, physically – Williams, particularly slight, bow-legged and bouncing his ’60s-style tumbleweed-do at 6-2 – and Wilson at 6-4.

As in two who’ve followed one Central Section Division I title with a ticket to another trip to Selland Arena and, guess what? They’re only juniors.

Wilson sank six 3-pointers in a 29-point night and Williams tag-teamed with 24 points and phenomenal floor facilitation in top-seeded Central’s 85-66 win over No. 4 Liberty-Bakersfield in the section semifinals on Wednesday night at Central’s East Campus gym.

The Grizzlies (19-6) will play No. 3 Bakersfield (21-10) at 8 p.m. Saturday in the Fresno downtown venue for the championship a year after Central delivered its first top-division boys basketball crown with a 77-64 conquest of fellow Tri-River Athletic Conference member Clovis North.

And consider: Central’s program began in 1925, according to section historian Bob Barnett.

Wilson, making 5 of 8 three-point attempts on a court typically disastrous to prep long-range shooting in what has been believed to be a depth-perception issue related to backboards with distant background walls – scored 25 points that March 5 night.

He’s averaging 23 points this season but didn’t play in the Grizzlies’ 79-77 loss to Bakersfield on Dec. 16 in the Clovis West Nike Shootout because of an elbow injury.

“I look forward to playing Bakersfield simply because we lost to them,” Streets says. “Now that we’re at full strength, it’s going to be interesting to see the results of that game.”

Williams also challenged perfection in last year’s final by making 4 of 5 field goals and 9 of 10 free throws for 17 points in addition to four rebounds, two assists and two steals.

“Good, very good,” Liberty-Bakersfield coach Jeff Hicks says of Cash and Cam.

His Patriots, Southwest Yosemite League runners-up who’ll bus more than 100 miles Saturday on a Classic Charter, actually were producing a classic rally, spinning a 26-8 first-quarter lead into a 41-39 edge in the first minute of the third quarter.

Then Wilson made a free throw, a seemingly harmless precursor of a 3-point rainstorm.

Generally accepting feeds from Williams, Wilson made five triples in the final 9 minutes, including two from Stephen Curry-like, 25-foot range.

And that was vanilla compared to his final basket of the night.

With the Grizzlies leading 79-63, Wilson scrambled for a loose ball with a Liberty player in the Patriots’ backcourt, rumbled, stumbled and eventually secured possession before finally finding balance just before dunking with a thunderous right hand.

With that, the roof blew off the gym.

Williams and Wilson, who began playing together four years ago in a Central-area AAU program, took it in stride.

“Great playing with Cam – I love it,” Williams says.

Of course.

How to defend?

Double-team Williams, and he kicks it to Wilson.

Double Wilson, and he kicks it to Williams, who scores virtually all of his points on drives and free throws, as was the case against Liberty when he made not one jumper.

“If I can’t score, he can,” says Wilson. “If he can’t, I can. We can do it all.

“The Duo Brothers.”

And yet there’s more to the “family”: Kobe Foster.

The 6-5 senior had 15 points and 16 rebounds in the win over Liberty (23-9).

The Grizzlies were thought to have a major void inside this season with the loss of 6-8 Chris Seeley, who hammered Clovis North for 17 points, 19 rebounds and four blocks in the championship win.

But Foster has grown mightily into the role.

They were also thought to be in trouble at point guard after Jaylon Johnson’s decison to skip basketball while concentrating on football, in which the nationally ranked defensive back has signed with Utah. He controlled the flow with 11 points and eight assists in last year’s final.

“Honestly, I think this year’s team is more special than last year’s simply because this team was doubted from Day One with Jaylon and the big guy gone. We had to have other people step up, and that’s what they did,” Streets said.

“We really have a three-headed monster. Try to stop Cam, and then Cash is going to unleash. Try to stop Cash, then you have to worry about Cam. Try to stop them both, and now you have to worry about Kobe Foster. With our size, length and speed, that’s pretty tough to deal with.”

This story was originally published March 2, 2017 at 4:22 PM with the headline "‘Duo Brothers’ have Central poised for basketball title repeat."