What brought the smile to Johnson's face was the thought of his team, at some point during the season, playing a perfect game, one in which he says something to his players and the command is played out perfectly and immediately.

"Our decision-making isn't always there," Johnson said, "and defensively, we could get a little sharper."

The nit-picking is part of what makes the team so good. The Patriots run a precise offense, are sound fundamentally on defense, and are mature, experienced and unselfish. As the team prepared for a tournament semifinal showdown against Mooresville and then a possible championship or consolation game against Kennedy Charter or Northside Christian (games unable to be included in this edition), perfection might not be needed in order to win those games, but precision, fundamentals and the intangibles would.

"We've played a pretty good schedule," Johnson said, "and obviously, we want to win them all."

What makes winning any game the Patriots play possible is the experience and maturity of the team. Davidson Day improved to 15-1 with the victory against First Assembly. Point guard Rashun Davis, a three-year starter, led the way with 23 points on 9-of-10 shooting.

Phillip Anglade, meanwhile, continued the dominating play he's demonstrated all season, playing little more than half the game but nabbing 14 points and eight rebounds anyway. Anglade, at 6-foot-4, has been a standout for the Patriots, dominating the boards and providing a presence inside that defies conventional wisdom.

"Phil is an undersized guy," Johnson said. "He might play like he's 6-9, but he's not. He excels closer to the basket. He can shoot the ball from 15, 16 feet, but that's not what he needs to do on our team."

Anglade's hustle results in many of his points. He beats opposing big men down the court and finishes on strong drives to the basket or on offensive rebounds. Against First Assembly, he had five first-half dunks, three of them coming after Davis dribbled through zone traps after First Assembly baskets.

This year's Patriots might be lacking the "star" power of the graduated Bernard Sullivan, who signed with Clemson, and Keith Belfield, who is now at Furman, but the growing familiarity with Johnson's expectations and his offensive and defensive systems has resulted in the current 10-game winning streak and realistic expectations of a private school state championship.

"Experienced guys who've been in the system a few years make a huge difference," Johnson said. "It takes awhile to get our offense and defense. These guys get it now."