Boys basketball notes: Deerfield’s Drew Rodgers is tall, so ‘people expect him to dominate.’ He’s learning.

It’s clear to everyone that Drew Rodgers has a physical advantage on the court.

That’s the rub for Deerfield’s 6-foot-8 sophomore center.

“Fair or not, people expect him to dominate because he’s so imposing,” Deerfield coach Dan McKendrick said. “Sometimes he’s a victim of his own stature.”

Rodgers, a second-year varsity player, said he tries to tune out the noise and not do too much. A talk with coaches after a poor showing during the Wheeling Hardwood Classic reinforced that idea, and Rodgers has been a force on both ends for the Warriors (14-5) since. He has averaged almost a double-double in the past five games.

“The message was that I can do so much more if I keep things simple,” Rodgers said. “I’m not thinking when I’m on the court, and my confidence has gone up a ton.”

Rodgers can affect a game in myriad ways. He can rebound over other players, disrupt opponents’ paths into the lane and get out into passing lanes on a fast break. He takes pride in making the right decision when he gets the ball in the post, either turning to the hoop or kicking the ball out to the perimeter if he gets doubled.

“If you’re as tall as I am, you’re supposed to be good at basketball, so that gives me motivation to live up to my size,” Rodgers said. “It’s a challenge, but in a good way.”

Stevenson’s “Swiss Army knife”: Stevenson has thrived this season because so many players contribute in so many ways.

No one in the Patriots’ rotation exemplifies that better than senior guard Michael Maloney.

“I’ve never been into statistics, so it’s less about me scoring and more about what I bring in intangibles,” he said. “It’s all about wins and losses.”

Having Maloney on the court has helped bring Stevenson (14-3) plenty of wins. In a typical Maloney-like effort in the Patriots’ 64-46 victory against St. Viator on Monday, he had eight points, seven rebounds and four assists.

Players who do so many things well also afford the coaches a luxury when it comes to matchups.

“We can use him as sort of a Swiss Army knife,” Stevenson coach Pat Ambrose said. “When we go small, he can shift to guarding a big, and because of his savvy and strength, he won’t give a centimeter space-wise.”

That Ambrose mentioned Maloney’s strength makes sense. Maloney was the primary ball carrier on Stevenson’s football team, rushing for 498 yards and eight touchdowns. He doesn’t shy away from contact on the court and also sees other benefits from football.

“The field vision I have as a runner helps me find gaps in the defense to find teammates passing-wise,” Maloney said. “And on defense, having a good sense of where people are going to go is a correlation to pass blocking.”

Sheppard finds time to shine: Ayden Sheppard has played four sports at Grant. There will be a fifth.

“There have definitely been a few times when I feel like I need a break, but I’ve gotten used to it,” he said. “I’ve always had fun picking up other sports.”

Soccer is Sheppard’s original sport, he took on the placekicking duties for the football team in the fall and he plans to shift from tennis to track in the spring. He had played tennis to be the doubles partner for his older brother Dylan, who has graduated.

For now, the 6-foot junior is immersed in his first varsity basketball season and has proved to be a vital cog for the Bulldogs (6-11). He started strong, being named all-tournament at Grant’s Thanksgiving event, and has kept it up.

“Sometimes we’d even like for him to be even more aggressive and slash and drive to the basket,” Grant coach Wayne Bosworth said. “We want him to think of himself as a true scorer.”

Sheppard is shooting 38% from 3-point range, tops on the team, and has assumed a unique defensive role, drawing assignments against the opponents’ biggest player due to Grant’s lack of size.

As a result, Sheppard has taken a crash course in post defense, which began in the season opener against a player who is a half-foot taller.

“It was a disadvantage for the first few games, but I’ve gotten used to it,” he said. “I have to be aggressive in how I position myself and make sure I stay in front of them.”

Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.