Artis, Carmon: Goldsboro tandem makes offensive engine run

By Allen Etzler
Published in Sports on January 23, 2015 1:48 PM

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aetzler@newsargus.com

They couldn't be more different.

Basketball was Myron Carmon's first love. He first picked up a ball as a 4-year-old during warm-ups for one his dad's basketball games.

He hasn't put it down since.

Basketball was just something for Rasheen Artis to do since he excelled on the football field and played baseball. Just before his 13th birthday, he figured he'd give basketball a shot.

Now, Carmon and Artis are one of the area's most-deadly scoring combinations. Although their basketball backgrounds are completely contrasting, they couldn't complement each other any better.

Each seems unstoppable at times.

Artis drives to the basket with lightning-fast quickness or a dribble hesitation. He scores against defenders in a variety of ways -- floaters, jumpers, finger rolls or an improved pull-up jumper.

A smooth left-hander, Carmon roams behind the 3-point arc and waits for defenders to anticipate his shot so he can beat them off the dribble. He pick-pockets defenders with ease, for uncontested coast-to-coast layups.

Occasionally a defender may stop one of them. But the other is there to pick up the slack and keep things running smoothly.

What if they both struggle to score?

That hasn't happened yet.

And they hope it's not about to start.

"We have a big responsibility to score," Artis said. "Our teammates do a great job of rebounding and putting us in position to score, and our job is to finish."

Carmon and Artis combine to score 34 points a game.

The Cougars are going to need every bit of that production and more when they welcome three-time defending 2-A state champion Kinston and Division I recruit Brandon Ingram to Norvell T. Lee Gym Saturday evening.

Goldsboro (13-2 overall) is off to its best start in a decade. The Cougars' lone hiccups occurred against Southern Durham in late December, and Ayden-Grifton on Tuesday. Before the colossal battle with the No.1-ranked Vikings, the Cougars entertain North Lenoir tonight.

"Our conference is full of good teams," Carmon said. "Anybody can lose at any time. We had a tough loss (Tuesday) but we definitely are going to be ready Friday and Saturday."

Along with Carmon and Artis, Goldsboro gets solid contributions from an athletic supporting cast. Only forward Jaylin Thomas averages double figures at 10.5 points per game and pulls down a team-best eight rebounds a game.

Thomas and Tyrique Tyson are the big men on an undersized team that will certainly give up a height advantage to Kinston, who has the 6-foot-8 Ingram playing along the perimeter and a host of big bodies in the post. Ingram has averaged 22.4 points, 8.8 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game in Kinston's last five games. Big-bodied forwards Darnell Dunn and Mykel Hart are combining to pour in 27 points in those same five contests.But the Cougars are used to being smaller than their competition.

"Growing up I was always the smallest kid out there," Artis said. "I just wanted to prove I could play and be better than them ... We're a smaller team than most, but we make up for it with heart and our speed."

Artis and Carmon know what it's like to play against bigger competition. They've been doing it all their lives. Carmon developed his jumper so that he would be less likely to get his shot blocked. Artis on the other hand learned on the playground how to use his body to create space in the lane.

Carmon admits the two used to handle themselves differently on the court as well, before the elder Artis finally got through to him. Now it's as if they're both silent assassins waiting to strike at any moment.

"Ya Ya is like my brother now (completely)," Carmon said. "In games when people used to talk junk on us, I used to talk back and get all mad. But he taught me to just let my game speak for itself. If they want to get embarrassed then we'll just give it to them. That taught me how to be humble."

Carmon is developing into a leader with his play, but it's Artis who is the unquestioned emotional leader of the team. During Christmas break, when Goldsboro had a depleted roster due to vacations and sickness and other things, it was Artis who called out of work so he could help his team.

"Some guys I know they need to go make money, but I call off," Artis said. "I don't like to miss this."

It's those things that make an impression on Stephens.

"That just proves how good of a leader he is," Stphens said. "We all know he can score the basketball, but he's proven that he's a guy the team can look to for leadership as well."