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Versatility of Olympus bigs Spencer Jones, Harrison Creer creates headaches for defense

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Harrison Creer (23), one of Olympus boys' basketball team's two big men runs drills during basketball practice, Monday, January 8, 2018.

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Harrison Creer (23), one of Olympus boys' basketball team's two big men runs drills during basketball practice, Monday, January 8, 2018.

Holladay • Big man can be a relative term.

Two players stand out when it comes to playing in the post for the undefeated Olympus Titans.

And yes, there really are two of them.

Harrison Creer and Spencer Jones look quite similar to the uninitiated in the stands. Both have a similar physique, both are left-handed and either one of them can back up a player under the goal or stretch the defense by popping out to the perimeter for a shot.

Creer (No. 23) and Jones (No. 22) even are close in jersey numbers.

And these two Titans both stand about 6 foot 3, often giving up a few inches to rivals in the paint.

But both are coming up big for an Olympus team that so far has rolled through its early season schedule.

“I guess I do just because I play a 5,” Creer said about whether he considers himself a center. “At the same time no because I’m out there shooting a lot of 3s, too.”

“We’re the ‘big guys,’ that’s us,” Jones said with a laugh. “We’ve played against Isaac [Johnson, a 6-10 junior] down at American Fork, played against some big guys so far, but we’ve managed. It’s tough. It’s brutal.”

But don’t feel too bad for the Olympus pair.

Creer is averaging 16.9 points while grabbing 7.1 boards. Jones is averaging 11.2 points and 4.7 rebounds.

And the Titans are turning into a well-balanced machine that has won all but three games by double-digit spreads despite seeming a bit undersized.

Jeremy DowDell, also at 6-3 but more of a perimeter player, leads the team with 19.2 points a game, while University of Utah recruit Rylan Jones puts the team’s attack together at point guard.

Olympus has won its first 15 games of the 2017-18 season after suffering a shocking setback, at least to some, to Springville in the Class 4A state championship last February. The Red Devils overcame a seven-point deficit in the last 90 seconds, tied the contest on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer then won in double overtime.

“It was a heartbreak. It actually took awhile to comprehend what went on,” Spencer Jones said. “I was physically exhausted. It was an intense game, and there was so much emotion into it.

“We’ve worked a lot harder this offseason. Had we won, we would’ve been in more of a cruise-control setting.”

Creer and Spencer Jones present a particular problem for the inside players on opposing teams because bigger foes are forced to stretch to the outside to cover the Titans pair. Spencer Jones has popped 26 treys while Creer has drained 24 3-pointers this season.

But put a smaller defender on the two and the other Titans are likely to find them inside. It’s a position where both players like to find themselves.

“I enjoy taking the small guys down low,” Spencer Jones said. “A lot of times Harrison is down there, but when I get a chance, it’s fun.”

Creer said: ”It’s fun to dominate the little guys. But it’s also fun to step out and hit 3s right in front of those guys because they don’t think you can — then you do.”

Since the Titans often go only around six players deep in tight ballgames, the two “big men” practically are indispensable in their role as inside-outside scoring threats and rebounders.

“Harry’s been an important player in our program kind of forever, and Spencer was kind of a guard for the first year-and-a-half,” Olympus coach Matt Barnes said. “Last year, he kind of converted and could play outside and inside both. That being said, they both have to go down low and do the dirty work. They’re both very strong and tough and can really battle in there.”

Both are multi-sport athletes. Creer was Olympus’ quarterback during the football season and both eventually will make the transition to baseball in the spring.

The two players took a road trip to Las Vegas less than a month ago to visit College of Southern Nevada as a possible destination to continue their baseball careers.

“We played back when we were little kids and then we kind of went our different ways. Then freshman year, we played together again,” Creer said. “We play baseball together too. We’re both pitchers. We see each other about six or seven months of the year, and we’re best friends. We’re with each other every day.”

When it comes to playing college sports, it might be baseball that offers the two the best chance. But the fondness for playing hoops is hardly on the back burner, particularly in light of how well Olympus is playing these days.

“I think we both want to go play somewhere in baseball, but basketball has been a love since Day 1,” Spencer Jones said.

OLYMPUS BIGS <br>Senior Harrison Creer and Spencer Jones give the undefeated Titans a presence in the paint. Here are their season averages: <br>Creer • 16.9 points, 7.1 rebounds <br>Jones • 11.2 points, 4.7 rebounds