The basketball world took on a new shape with higher stakes this year for Nansemond River High School senior Devon Oakley.

“My role has really changed,” he said. “I was a captain last year, but now I’m, like, THE captain.”

Oakley was a consistent presence for his team on the court during the week of Dec. 8, when the Warriors played three games and improved to 5-0 on the season.

He capped the week with a career-high 30 points against visiting cross-town rival Lakeland High School, sealing his nomination and eventual win as the Duke Automotive-Suffolk News-Herald Player of the Week.

The previous day, at Hickory High School, he had 15 points, five assists and four steals, and two days before that, at Indian River High School, he led his team with 14 points, adding seven rebounds, five assists and five steals.

Nansemond River head coach Ed Young’s confirms that Oakley’s role on the team and his influence on fellow players has grown.

“Definitely more leadership, I think both vocal and performance-wise,” Young said. “You don’t always get that combination in high school kids, especially the vocal part.”

Some shy away from being vocal leaders, because other players will hold them accountable for their words if their actions don’t fit their words. Oakley accepts this, taking the practical approach in stride.

“You can’t put somebody in a situation that you wouldn’t put yourself in, so if you’re going to say something, you’ve got to back it up,” he said.

Oakley watched recent graduate Ed Drew lead the team in both ways last year and knew he needed to fill that void.

Young drew attention to another reason why Oakley has made such an effective team captain this year.

“His overall game has blossomed where he just doesn’t think, ‘I’ve got to score points,’” Young said. “Now he sees, ‘I can score 12 points and still help this team with a lot of other things.’”

Those other things include rebounding, getting his hands on loose balls and even showing a knack for limiting the offensive threats on opposing teams.

“He’s our leading scorer, he’s second, I think, in assists, he’s first in steals, he’s third in rebounds, he’s third in blocked shots,” Young said. “In almost every category, he’s top three,” something that is pretty unusual.

He has started hearing from college recruiters and has good interest from at least six schools.

Oakley prepared for this season by playing for an Amateur Athletic Union team as well as for Nansemond River in some off-season games.

He stated his personal goals for his senior year: “To be the best leader I can be, and lead my team as far as possible, hopefully to a state championship.”

To help fuel his motivation, he still uses a speech by retired Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, but he also looks to the skill and perseverance of his favorite basketball player, Dwyane Wade.