Therefore, it wouldn’t exactly be right to say it took those three Leopards a while to get accustomed to the college level.

But considering how well Conley, Dipprey and Ellis played in 14 games against Northern Texas Junior College Athletic Conference competition, the first half of their freshman season now pales in comparison.

Forwards Conley and Dipprey and wing Ellis averaged a combined 43.3 points, 19.6 rebounds and 6.5 steals per conference game to help lead TC to an 11-3 record for second place.

They figure to again play crucial roles when the 27-3 Leopards battle familiar postseason foe Howard (23-7) at 7 p.m. Thursday in the first round of the NJCAA Region V Tournament at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor’s Mayborn Campus Center in Belton.

NTJCAC Freshman of the Year Conley, first-team all-conference player Dipprey and second-team pick Ellis technically are not TC’s leaders; sophomores Thomas Anguiano, Ervin Johnson and C.J. Richards are the captains. And none of them is the Leopards’ leading scorer; freshman LaDon Huckaby is tops at 14.4 points per game.

But the Conley-Dipprey-Ellis trio stands out as a consistent force for a team that has racked up the second-most regular-season wins in Kirby Johnson’s 21 seasons as TC’s coach.

“They have really improved since they came back from the Christmas break,” Kirby Johnson said. “There’s a huge difference when the guys come back, because now they know what to expect and this is home.

“J.B. was better earlier than the other two were,” Johnson added, “but you could see Wes and Chris coming along.”

One might think that the Leopards’ youngsters are pleased with their 27-3 mark, and they mostly are, but Harker Heights graduate Ellis says they know TC could have been even better.

“I’m very proud of my team and what we’ve done, but nobody’s satisfied,” said Ellis, who averaged 14.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.1 steals in conference play. “We feel like we should’ve gone undefeated.”

Said Dipprey, who averaged 11.3 points, a team-best 8.7 rebounds and 2.4 steals in NTJCAC games: “To have nine freshmen and to see how far we’ve come since the first part of the season, I’m very proud. We came together as a team and we’ve all matured.”

Although Conley, Dipprey and Ellis have impressive talent and steady play in common, each player displays a unique mentality and blend of skills.

Conley is the most physically imposing of the three, a muscular 6-5, 215-pound player from Richardson who averaged a TC-best 17.1 points plus 6.7 rebounds in league action.

He showcased his ability to take over games in late January, scoring a career-high 40 points in a home win over Southwestern Christian and then tallying 26 points to lead the Leopards to a 91-88 victory at Collin County.

Conley says the midpoint of the season was when he began to assert himself as an upper-level college player.

“For me, it was after we got back from the Christmas break,” said Conley, adding that he’s never qualified for postseason play before this season. “I worked out a lot over the break and my confidence level went up.”

“He’s played some wing and some inside with the added pressure of playing better people,” Johnson said. “He’s shot 59 percent (from 2-point range in conference), which is awfully good for a freshman.”

Although the 6-5 Ellis gives away 40 pounds to Conley, he played in the post while at Heights and had to make similar adjustments when it came to handling the ball more at TC.

Able to stroke 3-pointers and attack the basket for high-flying dunks, Ellis shot a team-best 63 percent from 2-point range in conference and leads TC free-throw shooters at 82 percent.

“In high school I was just a post, so I knew in college I’d be undersized and I’d have to develop my shooting game,” Ellis said. “I’m still trying to get better at all aspects.”

Said Johnson: “Chris and J.B. were posts in high school, so handling the ball with pressure was a foreign concept. Chris has played exclusively guard this year, and he’s done a good job.”

Dipprey came to TC from the small West Texas town of Shallowater, where he played for teams that won the Class 2A state championship in 2004 and reached the final a year ago.

Rangy and aggressive at 6-7, 210, he went for 19 points and 10 rebounds in a 96-80 win at then-No. 4 San Jacinto in TC’s fifth game.

“Wes showed what he was capable of, and he’s been a steady player for us,” Johnson said. “He’s capable of double-doubles, he’s done a great job on our press (defense) and he competes. He’s done what I’d hoped."

Dipprey, who said his largest adjustment from high school was the speed of the college game, believes his game is all about effort.

“I pride myself on playing as hard as I can and doing the little things,” he said. “But I know there’s always room for improvement."

gwille@temple-telegram.com