Carlyle Billingsley and his teammates on the Wyoming boys basketball team are always thinking about the way last season ended.

The Cowboys lost at the buzzer in double overtime to star Gator Nichols and eventual Ohio Division IV state champion Zanesville Maysville in the state semifinals. That drives this year's veteran team.

"I think about it every day," Billingsley said. "There's not a day that goes by that we don't think about it. Our goal is to just win a state championship for Wyoming and keep getting better every day."

The Cowboys are unbeaten at 15-0 entering a league game with Madeira Jan. 30. Billingsley is one of four senior starters on the team who are playing college basketball next year, and two other seniors have been part of the program since their grade-school days.

Billingsley is a big key to the Cowboys' hopes, literally, as the 6-foot-8 center patrols the paint in the team's guard-oriented attack and pressure defense.

He averages 13 points, seven rebounds and a block per game, shooting 69% from the floor and 74% from the foul line.

Billingsley is a big target in the paint and hard to stop when one of the Wyoming guards lobs a pass to him in the post. He also guards the post on the other side, grabbing rebounds and blocking shots.

Head coach Matt Rooks said his progress from last season is remarkable.

"He's gotten so much better in a lot of areas and he's a lot bouncier in everything that he does," Rooks said. "He has a huge impact, which lets our guards do what they do, and he's the rim protector. On the other end, just having his presence at the rim draws attention, which helps the guards offensively. So he's a huge piece to everything that we do.

Senior guards Kellen Wiley, Darren Gray and Devin Evans combine for 43 points per game and run the offense. Wiley and Gray average five assists per game, and Evans shoots 37% from 3-point range, making 36 for the season. On defense, they pressure the perimeter and make every pass and shot difficult.

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