Expanding skill sets has been key to Westlake’s strong start to the 2023-2024 boys high school basketball season.

Head coach Doug Morris knew he had a trio of capable scorers in juniors Kevin Rideau Jr., Ryan Allen and D.J. Garriet, but he needed more than that out of them. He needs them to passers, too.

Once they realized the importance of distributing the ball, the Rams thrived with a seven-game win streak.

During that time, the Rams’ scoring has risen from 51.2 points a game in their first six games to 58.9.

The Rams will end a two-week break at 7 p.m. today when they host St. Louis Catholic (8-5) in a nondistrict game.

“They are good at a little bit of everything,” Morris said of his scorers. “They have been shooting the ball well. They are able to attack well. As we keep going, they are actually making really good decisions on when they need to pass the ball or when they need to shoot the ball.

“They have come a long way in a very short period of time of being distributors, which has also helped us a whole lot. It has not been that big of a struggle. At first they thought they had to do it, but as the season has grown on they have grown in that aspect, knowing this is what we need to win ball games.”

It has upgraded Morris’ outlook. At nine wins, the Rams (9-3) are on pace to eclipse last season’s total (12). They are ranked No. 7 in the most recent unofficial nonselect Division III power ratings by Geauxpreps.com, and all three of their losses have come to top-10 teams — undefeated Buckeye (14-0, select Division II No. 5), Welsh (7-8, nonselect Division IV No. 7) and Lacassine (25-1, nonselect Division V No. 2).

“I was hoping that we could be better than a .500 team, but it looks like with the way that we have been playing we could even be better than that,” Morris said. “We still have a long way to go, but they have been playing really well lately.

“One night it is one of them scoring 20, and the other night it is the other one scoring 20, which is really cool because nobody can zone in on one of them. If you zone in on one, the other one is going to kill you, which is a good thing.”

As the Rams’ scoring has improved, their defensive play has taken steps forward too, going from 48.4 points allowed through their first six games to 42.4 in the last seven.

“It has been a little bit easier to coach, meaning that they are being more coachable which is showing in our record,” Morris said. “As they become more coachable we have more success. I haven’t had to fight so hard to get them to do the stuff we need them to do.”

Garriet is the starting point guard, but the trio, who all average more than 10 points a game, have become interchangeable at the position.

“If somebody comes to the bench, the other one is at the point, and the other one moves up to the two-guard,” Morris said. “It has really been a very good thing for us to have the ball handling that I have.

“D.J. has done a really good job. He is actually my point guard, and I moved Ryan, who was my point last year, to get him off the ball and give him more capabilities to be a scorer, which he has been.”

Allen was the Rams’ floor general last year but has moved to shooting guard, while at 6-foot-3 Rideau can work the lane when needed.

“If somebody plays the zone, I put (Rideau in) because he can score inside with his length.”

The Rams have good size in the lane senior Nathan Vincent and 6-2 junior Avan Breaux, but Morris says he prefers a guard-oriented offense.

“Nate Vincent is 6-7 and athletic,” Morris said. “He is my center. They do their jobs really well.

“It is not like an inside game as it was last year when I had big (Ja’Qualon) Pettieway. None of them are a back-to-the-bucket kind of player. Actually, Avan is a shooter for me, too. He is a spot-up shooter. He is more of a guard, too. I am actually playing four guards and one forward. Nate helps get rebounds, plays good defense and guards the bucket well for us.”