Basically, they win in Franklin

Franklin focuses on fundamentals

This team is a must-see for the basketball purist.

In the post, senior forward Ryan Spencer shows some flash with a simple spin move.

When junior point guard Matt Dean attempts to break down a defender, he uses a subtle dribble behind his back.

Ever since coach Dean O'Connor arrived at Franklin High School 10 years ago, the Panthers have focused on the fundamentals, and kept it simple. Season after season, win after win, O'Connor's crew has defended with a mix of man-to-man pressure schemes, and run a flex offense that relies on screens and cuts across the key to open up scoring lanes.

Nothing too fancy or too complicated. But at the end of the day, it nets positive results.

"We're not about athleticism," said the 6-foot-5-inch Spencer. "Whoever works harder is going to win the game."

Added Dean, "We're not about flash. We're about getting it to the open guy."

In a convincing 59-31 conquest of Hockomock League foe Canton on Tuesday night, when Franklin improved to 8-1 overall and 6-0 in the league, the Panthers were efficient, not dazzling. O'Connor and his players were not satisfied with the performance on offense - Franklin is averaging 75 points per game - but defensively, the team shut down an athletic Bulldog squad.

This season, Franklin is limiting foes to 51 points per game, on 38 percent shooting, while ruling the glass, as shown by its 38-24 edge in rebounds.

The Panthers throttled King Philip Regional, 84-29, in the season opener, and later bounced Foxborough, 82-38.

Catholic Memorial, which eliminated Franklin in the first round of the Division 2 South sectionals last year, handed the Panthers their only loss this season, 75-73, early last month. They'll square off again in the regular-season finale on Feb. 18.

But all the little things on this particular night - boxing out, diving to the floor, taking the occasional charge - added up to a surprisingly lopsided contest.

Franklin switched off between full-court and half-court pressure in building a 17-5 cushion in the first quarter. The Panthers yielded just one Canton field goal - a short jumper by sophomore Chris Sherwood, with 1:50 left - in the second quarter for 34-7 halftime bulge.

"You're not always going to shoot well. But if you play great defense, you're going to be in the game," said O'Connor, who guided Franklin to a 15-8 record last sea son. "We really feel like our defense turns into offense, because we get steals and easy baskets."

Offensively, the key is balance.

Dean and Spencer join junior Matt Palazini and sophomore Kyle Gibson in averaging at least 12 points per game, with Dean leading the way at 13.6. Those four, along with the fifth starter, junior Zack Price, all stand at least 6-foot-2.

So defensively, the Panthers have plenty of length, with good lateral movement, and the ability to get up and down the court quickly, pivotal points in playing solid man-to-man defense.

His team's height, Dean said, "helps us getting in passing lanes. Not many other teams have three or four guys with long arms. Other teams aren't used to it."

The Panther players are familiar with O'Connor's system even before they arrive at the high school.

O'Connor will occasionally head over to the middle school and show coaches the basics of his flex offense and man-to-man defense. The middle school players are introduced to the system as eighth- graders.

"It's pretty basic. It's a pretty basic offense to learn," says Spencer, who recalls being in the stands as a youngster for some of those Franklin games. He also got a grasp of the system playing for the town's youth travel team, under the direction of his father.

Dean recalls those sessions at A.C. Reynolds Middle School. By high school, "we knew what to expect," he said.

So maybe, too, they are accustomed to O'Connor's attention to detail. Anyone who has attended a Panthers game or practice knows O'Connor likes to make his points forcefully.

"You can ask these guys, but I think we're very detail-oriented," O'Connor said. "We go over all the little nuances of what the other team is going to do, and we drill it, so when we get in the game, we know what to expect."

Asked about that attention to detail, Palazini couldn't help but grin sheepishly. "There's a lot," he said.

"If we get the smallest thing wrong, he's on us. Especially in a game," Spencer said.

The next true test for Franklin is Friday night, when the Panthers host Boston City League contender East Boston.

Kyle Casey was in the seats at Conte Forum when Harvard shocked host Boston College, just three days after the Eagles had knocked off top-ranked North Carolina. And the Medway teen was openly rooting for the Crimson.

The 6-7 senior forward for the Brimmer & May School in Chestnut Hill has been courted by a number of Division 1 colleges, including Vanderbilt, Stanford, and Davidson, but considers Harvard his top choice.

"I was pulling for the Crimson," said Casey. "Harvard is my No. 1 school right now. I'm waiting to hear back from them."

Casey says Harvard is also the only school he's applied to thus far. If he isn't a part of coach Tommy Amaker's incoming recruiting class, he'll look at other options.

Another player making waves for the Brimmer & May Gators has been point guard Eric Alleyne, a Newton resident who went for 13 points, 7 boards, and 7 assists in a 61-49 win over Boston Trinity Academy on Jan. 9. The interest in Alleyne is primarily coming from schools in the America East and Northeast conferences.

Since Caanan Severin's first days on the Marlborough High varsity last season, head coach Ilya Nicholas has been talking about his promise. Earlier this season, Nicholas did something he's never done: name a sophomore as captain. The 6-3 swingman starred on the football field as a receiver this fall, and now he's fitting in just fine playing alongside high-scoring guard Keith Brown (21.1 points per game), averaging 11.5 points per game. "Even as a sophomore, he plays like a senior," Nicholas said. "He's very mature for his age, and takes great leadership roles." Framingham senior guard Dan Guadagnoli (19.9 points per game) reached 1,000 career points recently against Dedham.

Brendan Hall can be reached at bhall59@hotmail.com.