'Roos going Wes: Myers to step up as leader

READING, Pa. – Wesley Myers ticked off all the familiar faces he will miss, from Mike Taylor and Teyvon Myers to Antione Slaughter, Malik Nichols and Anthony Hemingway. He did so with a slight smile, not because the Boys & Girls rising junior point guard was happy that they were either moving on to college or going elsewhere.

He considers Teyvon Myers his brother – though the two aren’t related – and has used Slaughter and Taylor as a model of how to become a leader and champion.

But now, without a doubt, the two-time PSAL Class AA champions are his team along with bulldozing forward Leroy (Truck) Fludd. And the soft-spoken floor general can’t wait.

Denis Gostev

Boys and Girls' Wesley Myers is ready to be a leader for the Kangaroos.

“I feel I’m ready,” he said of the new role during Hoop Group Elite Session I at Albright College. “I’m working harder. I’m gonna have to step up.”

Taylor knows Wesley Myers is. As a sophomore, he never showed fear, not facing Duke-bound superstar Austin Rivers, not in the championship game at a national tournament such as the Beach Ball Classic, not even in the state Federation tournament. Myers played sparingly at times, but was thrust into a pivotal role on several occasions when Boys & Girls was shorthanded and always exceeded expectations.

“He’s gonna be one of the best guards in the city,” Taylor said. “He knows how to be a leader. It’s his time to shine.”

College coaches have been aware of him for quite some time, since his freshman year at Boys & Girls, assistant coach Elmer Anderson said. When they would hold open gyms, coaches came to see Taylor, who was blowing up at the time, and left impressed by Myers.

“They were raving about his future,” said Anderson, who noted Myers has scholarship offers from Miami, Oklahoma State and South Carolina in addition to ample high-major interest. “The kid can write his own ticket.”

Myers, a quick, heady point guard with 3-point range, performed well this week in suburban Pennsylvania, playing among several hundred fellow prospects. He scored when the opportunity presented itself, defended well and shared the ball.

There, of course, will be more asked of him in Bed Stuy this winter. He will have to be a facilitator as well as a scorer, a leader for his younger teammates and steadying force for the entire team.

“He admired Mike, Antione and all the other guys and now he has to stand on his own two feet and man the ship,” Anderson said. “That’s what we’re putting in front of him. He has to grow up a little faster. But the thing is he has experience. He has a championship under his belt, he’s played on TV numerous times.”

Anderson called him and Teyvon Myers the “M&M boys.” The assistant coach had high hopes for the duo, which played alongside one another on the junior varsity as freshmen and with the Metrohawks for several years. But Teyvon Myers left for South Shore late in his sophomore year.

“It’s gonna be different facing him,” Wesley Myers said.

Just in the way he holds himself, one can tell he’s no longer an underclassman. Myers rarely referred to himself in discussing next season, always saying “we” instead of “me.” He’s grown somewhat, his shoulders seemingly broader and he has put on muscle. He seems more confident in himself.

Asked about Boys & Girls possibly taking a step back, he shrugged.

“Just watch us play,” he said. “Even though we’re young, we’re gonna knock down shots, we’re gonna defend, we’re gonna play. We’re not gonna go from a winning team to a losing team. We can’t go from winning two championships to losing in the quarterfinals.”

That’s really the challenge for Myers, Fludd and the other Kangaroos – replicating the success of Taylor, Slaughter and the others. Boys & Girls went three decades without a title before the last two seasons. The new Kangaroos, Myers said, have been playing together in several summer leagues at EBC, West 4th Street and Nike Swoosh to sterling results. He’s been impressed by his younger teammates, notably Shakur Pinder, who transferred into The High last year from Cobble Hill.

Can Myers lead the way, minus his longtime running mate? Fear certainly won’t be a factor.

“I’ve played against great teams, I’ve played against All-Americans, I’ve seen it all,” he said. “I’m not scared of anybody. I’m not gonna back down from anybody.”

Spoken like a true leader.

zbraziller@nypost.com