STARKVILLE — Starkville High School senior basketball player Richard Evans feels a lot of familiarity when he looks around the court.

“We have like 10 seniors on this team, and it’s like most of us have played together since sixth or seventh grade,” Evans said. “I think that goes a long way in explaining our success. We have played together for a long time, and, for the most part, the results have been very good.”

This season, the results have been spectacular.

Starkville (18-2) will bring a nine-game win streak into its huge non-region showdown against West Point tonight. Its recent run includes a 70-62 upset of No. 1 Madison Central in a Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 6A, Region 3 matchup Friday night.

Evans led the team with 21 points against Madison Central. For his performance and for providing leadership throughout the season, Evans is The Dispatch’s Prep Player of the Week.

“We practice every day and we work hard every day,” Evans said. “I think that is what separates this team is the attitude we have in practice. We come out every day and try to work harder than we did the day before. Defense and rebounding are the keys to this team. We know the offense is going to come along when we need it.”

Starkville High coach Greg Carter has said repeatedly that he likes the mental makeup of this team. Evans’ leadership helps push that mental composure to the forefront.

“This team has a calm and even nature,” Carter said. “They work hard and defend on every possession. A lot of that comes from Richard and his leadership style. We don’t have a lot of size, so it is a necessity we play together as a team. When you have this many seniors, it might be hard to find a leader because they all might lead. Richard has really stepped up and taken that role.”

Carter demands excellence on defense. It is common for Starkville to hold a team scoreless for a period. When the other team turns the ball over in the open court, the Yellow Jackets excel in transition.

“Our game plan is to speed the other team up,” Evans said. “We want them to be uncomfortable. We are really good on the fast break, so we try to stay patient on offense. Even when the shots aren’t falling, we feel like we can get some turnovers and get some easy baskets to get things going.”

Starkville has earned the right to play host to the MHSAA North State Class 6A tournament in late February, which is major because the Yellow Jackets are undefeated at home this season. The success comes a year after Starkville had an atypical losing season last year.

“Last year, we really didn’t have any leaders,” Evans said. “I got hurt toward the end of the year, so I couldn’t play (in a postseason game) against Canton. We tried to approach this like a new season. With so many seniors, we wanted to work hard and make sure that each of us laid it all on the line. We got better throughout the season last year, but injuries really hurt us, so this year we came out, started over, and once we won some games early, the confidence really picked up.”

Evans always has played with confidence. He said his father, Richard Evans, Sr., instilled a desire to be the best in him at an early age.

“He worked with me on my game,” Evans said. “The thing about my dad is he worked on ballhandling and the little things. It is always fun to shoot a basketball. He pushed me so hard to become a complete player.”

With a balanced scoring attack and a tenacious attention to detail on defense, Carter and his troops hope the best is still to come.

Follow Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott.

Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.