West Side senior Harlem Rhodes has a deeper sense of self this season.

His father, Marcus, who starred at Lew Wallace and played at Southeast Missouri State, has cast a long shadow.

“People around the area tell me who my dad was, comparing me to him,” Harlem Rhodes said. “But I try not to listen to that kind of stuff.

“He’s a really big inspiration to me. I really try to be who he is. But I know I won’t be exactly the same. I just want to make my own name for myself.”

West Side coach Chris Buggs said this could be the season when Rhodes makes that happen. Rhodes was averaging 8.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals for the Cougars (3-0) entering their game against Michigan City on Friday.

“Harlem is a player who really struggled last season and is finally coming into his own,” Buggs said. “He’s attempting to step out of his father’s shadow. Sometimes having a very talented father can put extra pressure on an athlete. He matured a lot this summer.”

Buggs, a 2003 West Side graduate who was part of the 2002 Class 4A state championship team, has had an up-close view of Rhodes’ situation, knowing the family well. Buggs played against both Rhodes’ father and Rhodes’ uncle Jason, a 2003 Wallace graduate. Rhodes’ cousins Kingston and Kaiden are sophomores at Crown Point.

“He’s grown up in a basketball family,” Buggs said. “I grew up with his dad and his uncle. When Marcus had a son, and he came here, I was like, ‘Wow, we have a chance to coach his son.’

“We realized right away he wasn’t his father. He was a different type of basketball player. He didn’t have that much experience. He just had a different type of game. He wasn’t as rugged, but he was more smooth, just had a good feel for the game.”

Buggs said Rhodes needed to be himself.

“He’s a really good kid,” Buggs said. “His dad’s really helped him. Great family. He put the pressure on himself. His dad never put pressure on him. He himself was just putting pressure on himself and trying to live up to a certain standard. That’s sometimes tough for a kid.

“He’s doing better now. He’s really grown. He’s owned up to who he is personally and on the basketball court.”

That has been a long process for Rhodes, who attended Crown Point as a freshman but didn’t play basketball.

“I didn’t make the team,” he said. “I kind of quit basketball for a while.”

But West Side assistant Sean Smith, a close friend of Marcus Rhodes and, like Buggs, a member of the 2002 state championship team, helped Harlem Rhodes rediscover his spark for the sport.

Rhodes played on West Side’s junior varsity team as a sophomore and earned a promotion to the varsity level last season, when he averaged 3.0 points as the young Cougars went 5-18.

“He came here as a sophomore, and he was really quiet,” Buggs said. “He came in a little timid. Last year was his first year on varsity, and it was a whole new world for him. He felt the weight of the world on his shoulders. We lost a lot of games last year, and that hurt him. But he stuck it out. He was tough.

“After the season, we met one-on-one, and he said, ‘Coach, I want to be better next year.’ A lot of kids can quit or make excuses or transfer. He was one of those guys who took ownership. He said, ‘Coach, I want to work hard in the offseason,’ and he just worked his butt off to get better.”

Rhodes has been better for the Cougars (3-0), who started the season with a flourish, beating Valparaiso in their opener.

“This year we’re expecting big things from him,” Buggs said. “The first few games, he’s been solid. But we think he can get a lot better. Him knowing he’s his own person, his journey’s different, that’s big.

“He’s one of our captains, one of our leaders. It’s his senior year, and now it’s his time to shine. I’m really excited to have him this year.”

Rhodes said he has gotten stronger and faster while improving his finishing and shooting, as well as his defense. He acknowledged last season was “different” and a “learning experience.”

“It was tough last year because we didn’t have real leadership,” he said. “We were all over the place. So I just put my team first. Not try to be in my feelings all the time. Just make sure I’m on the same page with all my guys.”

Forward Trishtan Holmes, the only other senior on the roster, also joined the Cougars as a sophomore after going to Lighthouse as a freshman.

“He has a lot of versatility,” Holmes said of Rhodes. “He can score well, shoot well, finish at the basket through contact well.”

Guard Julian Holmes, part of West Side’s talented sophomore class, said he looks up to Rhodes.

“He shows leadership,” Julian Holmes said. “He makes sure everybody’s on track. He never downs you. He keeps you up in spirits. He keeps a smile on your face. He shows what real leadership means. He’s actually like a big brother to me.

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“I remember first meeting him. He was kind of a chunky kid, and to see his work ethic and where he is now, I’m proud of him. He also shows leadership in the classroom, keeping his academics high. He’s very respected.”

Buggs agreed that Rhodes is putting it all together.

“He’s really taken on a leadership role on and off the court,” Buggs said. “He’s showing academic excellence in his dual-credit classes and showing the young student-athletes how to work consistently on the court.”