Deonta Knight has been a signature part of Lakeland High School basketball since he was a freshman, and his start to the 2014-15 season suggests he will continue to be a leader for the Cavaliers in his upperclassman years.

Knight, a junior forward, recorded consecutive double-double performances to help Lakeland win its first two games, leading to his selection as Duke Automotive-Suffolk News-Herald Player of the Week.

Of his start, Knight said he “felt pretty good, felt like starting out, just keep rolling, keep rolling from here, that’s all we’ve got to do.”

On Dec. 2, he led his team with 16 points and 10 rebounds to go with two assists in the Cavaliers’ 55-36 season-opening win against visiting Great Bridge High School.

Three days later, he led his team with 22 points and 15 boards to help it defeat host Indian River High School by the score of 70-52.

Describing the ingredients to such a good start, Knight said, “Play with a chip on my shoulder, and then just get my team involved first, and then I’ll get mine later.”

Cavaliers coach Clint Wright noted preparation before the season was key for Knight.

“We had him the whole summer, had a great summer camp. Team camp was great, so he came into the season in shape,” the coach said.

Ensuring his team undertook a strong regimen of preseason conditioning was a priority for Wright this year.

The coach described his three-year star forward as a “great kid, works extremely hard, gets timely rebounds. He kind of reminds me of myself, but of course, I was much taller.”

Wright stands at 6’6”, while Knight is 6’3”.

Height can be a significant factor in the kinds of college opportunities a player gets. Knight is definitely interested in playing college basketball, and Wright confirmed he has already drawn interest from schools.

“(He) has a tremendous ceiling,” Wright said. “There are some things that we need to work on throughout in an effort to get him prepared for the next level, and that’s exactly what we’re doing.”

Knight’s height will probably not translate to him playing near the hoop much in college, so Wright is considering using him on the perimeter more for Lakeland.

At the next level, “I think he will probably be a small forward,” Wright said.

For the present high school season, Knight said, his goals are “just to get better and to get my school work better, just keep improving.”

He noted what he adds to a squad he hopes will win a state championship this year.

“I bring energy and confidence, and I just bring my leadership,” he said.

Wright said he is “well pleased with the way Deonta has taken the captain role and has led by example.”

Knight currently has 674 points on his way to reaching 1,000 for his Lakeland varsity career.

“We’re not making that the goal, we just want to put him in a position to be successful, but he’ll surely be one of the number of players in Lakeland history that has eclipsed the 1,000-point mark,” Wright said.