Down by one, with little time left on the clock, a win seemed unlikely for the SHS varsity basketball team last season against Terre Haute South on Feb. 17. Following a timeout, freshman Ryan Lezon inbounded the ball to freshman Brevin Jefferson, where he beat the buzzer by drilling a contested corner three.

“I was playing the game and my teammates made the best plays to get to that point,” Jefferson said.

The very next day, the game was back in Jefferson’s hands, as he stood at the free-throw line down by one against Evansville Reitz. With the pressure on him, Jefferson sunk both free-throws to put the Cards up by one.

It was during these two games that Jefferson showed his ability to be able to lead the team.

Jefferson is now a sophomore, and this is his second year starting for the varsity team. Even though the 16-year-old is one of the youngest on the team, he has taken full control of the leadership role.

After losing five varsity players throughout the year, head coach Kyle Simpson believes that “(Jefferson) was thrown into a tough spot.”

“We didn’t expect him to be in the position he was in,” Simpson said.

Despite being put in a “tough spot” as a freshman, Jefferson still averaged 6.7 points per game, 3 assists per game, 3.1 rebounds per game and had a player efficiency rating of 9.1. According to Bleacher Report, a player efficiency rating is “computed using a detailed, complex formula that, in essence, adds for positive stats such as rebounds, assists and steals, and subtracts for negative stats such as shots missed or turnovers.”

Nearing the end of the regular season, Jefferson is currently averaging 13.6 ppg, 3.9 apg, 4.2 rpg and a player efficiency of 17.3. Jefferson’s field goal percentage has went up 13 percent, from a 46.4 percent freshman year to a 58.8 percent this year.

Jefferson is currently averaging the most points per game, the most assists per game, the most steals per game and the second most rebounds per game.

“I got more aggressive and I have more confidence in myself,” Jefferson said.

With all of Jefferson’s stats rising, he should be able to compete with the former SHS player, now at Xavier University, Paul Scruggs, who helped lead the 2015-16 team to the Semi-State game. According to Max Preps, Scruggs averaged 19.8 ppg, 4.1 apg, 7.9 rpg and three steals per game.

According to junior Chaz Hinds, Jefferson’s teammate,  the team didn’t have a leader last year and because Jefferson plays point guard, the team is often in his hands.“We know that when we need something good to happen to put the ball in his hands,” Hinds said. “He can do what we need especially when we need it most.”

Whenever the team starts having bad moments and possessions, Jefferson is the one to lead the charge to regain the team’s composure.

“I call the team together and tell them, ‘We need to pick it up, we (are) good, and (that) we just need to play harder,’” Jefferson said.

With the last regular season game being tonight, Jefferson and the rest of the team are looking forward to the state tournament.