For much of his first three seasons at Allderdice, Logan Golle’s primary role was that of facilitator, as he would spend the majority of his minutes working on creating scoring opportunities for teammates.
Golle’s game, though, has taken on a different look this season, and it has nothing to do with the new “Joker” tattoo that stretches from his right knee to his ankle.
Golle has been busy putting the point in point guard.
And for Allderdice’s opponents, that has been no laughing matter.
Allderdice is in hot pursuit of a City League championship three-peat. And if the Dragons do just that, chances are Golle will be the one who takes them there. Golle is a 6-foot-3 senior point guard and three-year starter who leads the Dragons in scoring with 22.8 points per game. That mark ranks second in the City League behind only Brashear senior Titus Gilett (23.5 ppg).
On Monday, Golle poured in a career-high 40 points in a 91-64 win against Brashear that improved Allderdice to 12-2 overall and 5-0 in City League action. The Dragons have won 66 consecutive City League regular-season games, their last loss coming in the 2016-17 season.
“He has a scorer’s mentality,” Allderdice coach Devin Crummie said. “I think he understood this season that even though he’s handling the ball a lot, he had to pick up his scoring.”
Golle actually led Allderdice in scoring last season when he averaged 14.1 points per game. But that was when the Dragons had three additional double-digit scorers in Ethan Anish (13.8 ppg), Sam Kelly (11.8 ppg) and Major Rainey (11.6 ppg). Anish and Kelly graduated, leaving Golle and Rainey to handle the brunt of the scoring load. Rainey is a 6-4 senior guard-forward averaging 16.4 points a game. Junior guard Jack Segall (12.3 ppg) is the only other double-digit scorer this season.
“My confidence has definitely grown,” said Golle, also an excellent student who carries a 3.89 GPA. “I knew I had to step into a bigger role with some of our main guys leaving.”
Golle, who lives in Lincoln Place, has been especially potent during Allderdice’s seven-game win streak. During that stretch, Golle is pumping in 27.7 points a game. He scored 35 points against Shady Side Academy and had 31 against Obama Academy.
Shooting is one of Golle’s strengths. He’s shooting 53% from the field, 35% from 3-point range and 76% from the free-throw line. His 24 3-pointers lead the team and he also averages a team-best 4.6 assists.
“He shoots it really well,” Crummie said. “He can shoot the 3 from off the catch or off the dribble. He’s good at getting to the rim and finishing. We press a lot, and he runs the floor and runs it hard. He’s sprinting to that rim. It’s sort of like [former Aquinas Academy star] Vinnie Cugini.”
There was one 3-pointer in particular Golle might never forget. His 3-pointer at the buzzer lifted Allderdice to a dramatic 51-48 win against Fox Chapel in the Pittsburgh Holiday Hoops Classic at PPG Paints Arena on Dec. 27. It came with several family members, including his mom, dad and brother, watching from courtside seats.
“It was incredible,” Golle said. “It was my first game-winner probably ever, not even just high school.”
Golle credits a former women’s college basketball star for playing an important role in his development. Since fourth grade, Golle has trained with Tanya Garner, a West Mifflin graduate who scored more than 1,500 career points at Penn State and is now the boys coach at Nazareth Prep. Garner is also Golle’s AAU coach with the Pittsburgh Pioneers. Golle’s teammates last summer included Bethel Park’s Shawn Davis, Obama Academy’s Torrien Perkins and Lincoln Park’s Mikey Crawford.
“She’s been there since the beginning,” Golle said of Garner. “She’s had a really big impact on my game. We train during the offseason, and she always has the gym open if needed.”
Golle now hopes to lead Allderdice to a City League three-peat and perhaps even a lengthy run in the PIAA Class 6A playoffs. The only teams to top the Dragons this season have been WPIAL opponents Gateway (11-2), 56-51, and Baldwin (11-3), 74-63. In Golle’s three seasons as a starter, the Dragons have compiled an overall record of 53-14.
Golle and Rainey are also chasing career milestones, as both are in striking distance of reaching 1,000 points. Golle is sitting on 843 points and Rainey on 836. Rainey sat out Monday’s win after getting a little banged up in Saturday’s victory against Aliquippa.
“Playing with him has been amazing. We became a dynamic duo,” Golle said.
Golle plans on playing in college. Thiel, La Roche and Allegheny are among the Division III schools showing interest in Golle, who is receiving some Division II interest, as well.
In the meantime, look for Golle to continue to put the point in point guard.
“His middle school coach had told me, ‘You’re going to get a kid who is going to be pretty good,’” Crummie recalled. “And he has been.”
Brad is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at beverett@unionprogress.com.