PEMBROKE — The age-old adage that defense wins championships rang true for The University of North Carolina at Pembroke men’s basketball team last season, and this year’s team, which is comprised mostly of players from the back-to-back Peach Belt Conference championship teams has brought that same swagger on defense back this season.
“It helps when you have success. The guys saw what it did for our team last year,” 11th-year UNCP head coach Ben Miller said. “We were in the top of the Peach Belt in a lot of the defensive statistics and we got the results on the court as well.”
With strict team goals of out-rebounding opponents and forcing them to under 40 percent shooting from the floor, the Braves continue their strong defensive mindset that has been more of a priority in recent years. Miller credits depth and the recent talent that has entered the program to the shift in the culture from an offensive-minded team, to one that is capable of scoring, but wants to make offensive flow hard to come by for opponents.
“I think it’s been a progression. We may have got to a point four or five years ago where offensively and rebounding we were statistically near the top of the league,” Miller said.
”That one area that we needed to get over the hump, to take the next step to win conference and possibly do something at the regional level, was the defensive end. You look around and those teams playing at the end of the year, most of them are pretty good at guarding. I think we’ve always been pretty good at the defensive end, but I feel like we’ve gotten a lot more disruptive.”
Going 10 players deep on the bench for most games this season has been a lift for the Braves on the defensive side of the ball. The excess of players provides the availability for a change in defensive energy just a quick substitute away.
“We expect our guys to play hard and it allows us to play more full-court defense with some trapping,” Miller said. “When you’ve got quickness on the perimeter and long, athletic big guys, it gives you a chance to cover a lot of ground.”
Through the first six games of the season, UNCP is in the top 10 nationally in four defensive categories, including fourth in defensive field goal percentage and ninth in defensive rebounds per game. Leading that defensive push are two juniors, Akia Pruitt and Micah Kinsey, who have experienced the toughening of the Braves’ defense over their time in Pembroke.
Pruitt was named the Peach Belt Conference defensive player of the year last year as a sophomore, and has been a rim-protector with the ability to switch and guard the perimeter if caught in a mismatch. It’s that kind of versatility Pruitt and nearly all of the other nine Braves who see serious minutes bring to the table.
“I always thought it was heart that if you could take on the challenge of stopping the other team’s best player,” Pruitt said. “A lot of people pride themselves on offense and scoring, so it’s fun to go out every night and see if you can stop that person.”
As the reigning defensive player of the year in the conference, Pruitt sees that as motivation to continue to improve on the defensive side of the ball, as the man in the middle of the Braves’ “15 feet and in” defensive mantra. Pruitt leads the team in blocks with 11, and the Braves as a whole are first in the nation in blocks per contest.
Kinsey said that with a 10-man rotation where up to six players can see time in the backcourt or on the wing, that everyone needs a role, and finding his was an easy choice.
“On this team, I have plenty of scorers by my side so I take pride in defense, like getting steals and stops, which is what I’m known for,” Kinsey said. “Defense is the hustle end of basketball. It really shows who has the heart and the grind to get it done.”
As the team’s sixth man this season, Kinsey leads the group with 15 steals. This comes after leading the Braves with 75 steals last year. UNCP is sixth nationally in steals per game this season.
Both know that the depth the Braves have requires more of them on the defensive side of the ball, with younger reserves like forward Spencer Levi and guard Cam Hamilton ready to provide a similar lift. As Pruitt leads the team with 11 blocks, Levi is second in the team with 10, and Kinsey’s 15-steal total is two ahead of Hamilton’s mark.
“We’ve both got good players behind us, so that’s competition for me to get more stops,” Kinsey said. “Defense wins championships. If that’s your mentality, then defense is going to be a priority.”
To create a deep roster like the Braves possess right now boils down to the coaching staff’s ability on the recruiting trail to find players that have defensive traits the staff desires.
“The want to or the desire to play defense is really critical, and obviously you’ve got to have the athleticism to do it,” Miller said. “And we like guys that have been coached on the defensive end. Fortunately, we’ve recruited a lot of guys from really strong programs where they have to play defense in high school. That really helps their transition.”
Translating that to the next level from high school to college can sometimes be a challenge, but the intensity and hunger to want to defend is bred during practice by the leadership of the team. Leadership that has come to believe in the “defense wins championships” saying after experiencing it first hand each of the last two seasons.
“Running, defending and rebounding, you can control everyday, and you might have an off shooting night,” Miller said. “But those are things we expect out of our guys every day. Another thing we challenge this group with is our communication defensively, where you take individual efforts and you work together with your position on the floor and your voices.”
Junior guard Micah Kinsey guards the ball in a game earlier this season. Kinsey leads the teams in steals and is a vital part of the Braves’ stingy defense.