by Charlie Hall ’27
December 10, 2024
As of press time, the boys’ basketball team is 3-3 on the season.
Just days ago, they found themselves looking for a bounce-back after a nail-biter overtime loss against Hume-Fogg and a disappointing loss to MBA, both at home. Since then, however, the Tigers have won three out of four road games.
Clay Payne ‘25, who recently committed to playing for Palm Beach Atlantic University, said the team’s early season focus is on defense.
“Working on our defense is probably our biggest focus. We had 13 three-pointers hit on us [in the MBA game]. Communicating more effectively could alleviate many of those issues, and our offense is a little stagnant right now. We need to work on small situations, like adjusting when something unexpected happens,” Payne said.
“We just need to embrace it and adapt. It’s about getting comfortable with being uncomfortable,” he added.
While the Tigers work on improving their performance this season, they also reflect on the previous year and ask what can be better in the 2024-25 season.
“Last season, I feel like our defense was a factor. We had a few defensive liabilities, and we also need to be smarter with our shot selection,” Payne said. “Personally, I had to be more strategic with my fouls. That’s probably what cost us in our final game because it kept me out of the first half for a long period. We were still within five points at that point. In general, we need to focus on those aspects of the game.”
Last year’s Tigers ended the season with a 9-16 overall record, with six of the nine wins coming at home. Their final game was a 49-38 loss to Webb School after defeating them just four days earlier in the last regular-season game, 61-53.
Payne said of the game, “That was our chance to get into the Region Tournament. I wasn’t being smart with my fouls, and that hurt my performance in the first half. It affected our momentum. So, being smarter in situations like that is key.”
This year’s team has shown promise at times but also had areas that needed improvement. It was clear from the start that they struggled with defending MBA’s three-pointers. Braylin Davis ’26 displayed a strong ability to drive to the basket and make shots through contact. He also set up teammates for success, passing the ball when he couldn’t finish on his own. He and Payne were responsible for many of the team’s positive plays on both ends of the court.
Additionally, Cam Hinsey ’25 was able to lose his defenders at times and showed a lot of energy, trying to be involved everywhere on the court. But MBA demonstrated impressive ball movement and aggressive defense, which forced the Tigers into making several mistakes.
Payne said afterwards, “We’ve got to play more as a team if we want to win games. We have a lot of talent, but we need to use it more effectively. I think losses bring out the best in players. The goal is always to win, no matter how we do it. I’m fine scoring five points a game as long as we win. But it makes players hungrier. We just need to keep attacking, moving forward, and learning how to play together.”
Payne adds that postseason success is a primary goal for the Tigers.
Braylin Davis ‘26 drives towards the basket as Coach Jones looks on. (via the Peabody Press)
“Our focus is to get to the Region Tournament and to do that, we need to push for a higher seed to get home-court advantage,” he said. “Starting strong in the playoffs gives us a boost for the rest of the season.”
The players have a lot on their minds as they head into practice and games, with a vision of what their ideal team will look like and how they can improve each day. Payne spoke highly of all his teammates, emphasizing that they need each other to be the best versions of themselves. Specifically, he mentioned the new role of Liam Schnelle ’25.
Amaan Anderson ‘25 looks to inbound the ball against MBA. (via the Peabody Press)
Payne said, “I need to help my teammates out, especially since we got Liam [Schnelle]. He came in this year and started right off the bat after not playing for a couple of years. So, I’m helping him adjust and also helping some other guys get more oriented with the game.”
Payne understands his role as a team leader. He said he wants his teammates to see him as a brother, and that everyone on the team wants to see each other succeed, which in the end, will help them win more games.
“At the end of the day, whether we win or lose, we’re brothers and friends,” he said. These are the closest guys—you go to war with them every day. I want to be remembered as a friend and a brother, really.”
The team has set high expectations for themselves this year. There is a lot of talent on the USN roster, and the hardest part will be fulfilling everyone’s expectations.
“The goal is always to improve every day, getting better little by little, and figuring out what we need to tweak,” Payne said.
The Tigers are determined to bounce back from early setbacks and push for a spot in the Region Tournament. Following the loss to MBA, the Tigers had three straight road games before Thanksgiving. They defeated Antioch the next night (62-50) before losing narrowly at Boyd Buchanan (53-50), and defeating Cannon County (74-55). Most recently, they defeated Friendship Christian (61-44) on the road on Tuesday, December 3. They will return to Sperling Gym on December 10 against Columbia Academy.
There are many opportunities ahead for the team will look at some younger players to step up and fill the roles of departing seniors. It looks to be an exciting season and we have yet to see the team at their best.
