Amid a roaring start, SC4 men's basketball prepares for the 'mental battle'
It didn't take long for the St. Clair County Community College men's basketball team to get into a rhythm this season. Maybe a few days, at the most.
But now, the Skippers have been cruising for more than a month. And they're determined to keep it that way.
"It just starts at practice for us," sophomore guard Caron Clayton said. "Work hard, play hard at practice and do the things that coach told us to do. We're intense every day and night. We're going to take teams' first punches, but we've just got to fight back and be better — (we have to) come out and hit them hard first."
SC4 has proven to be one of the heaviest hitters in Division II this year. Entering Thursday night's game at Lansing Community College, the Skippers are 11-1 and haven't lost since they dropped the opener to Lakeland Community College on Nov. 4. They're also ranked 10th in the latest National Junior College Athletic Association poll.
A top-10 ranking and double-digit winning streak would be reasons to celebrate for some programs. But for the Skippers? Please, they aren't satisfied with a nice run in December. Not in the slightest.
"As a third-year (player), I just put it away," sophomore guard Jakylen Thomas said of the winning streak. "But for our teammates, we've just got to tell them that we can lose on any given night. So we've got to bring it every game."
"I've been on winning teams," SC4 coach Richard Field said. "Once you start winning a lot, you've got to shift your mindset to you becoming the underdog and approach each game like you're the underdog. We know we're not, but that's the mentality you've got to carry into games. Because we know everybody is trying to give us their best shot."
SC4 is averaging 94.6 points per game, which ranks 11th out of 137 teams in the country. The Skippers are allowing 73.8 points per game, good enough for 62nd. While respectable, it's not where they want to be defensively.
"Coach keeps telling us how we can't outscore every team," Clayton said. "So, basically, we've just got to get better at defense. We've got scorers, so I feel like we're going to get around 95 to 96 points every night. But we've got to be strong on defense."
"I preach defense just as much as I preach them being offensively skilled," Field said. "We are a deep team as far as offensive skillsets go. But I also take pride in stopping teams. So you've got to have a balance of both."
No Skipper embodies that balance more than Thomas. He leads the clubs in scoring with 17.8 points per game and is second in steals with an average of 2.2 (Clayton is first with 2.3).
"When tipoff comes, my energy is top tier," Thomas said. "And it doesn't stop until the game is over."
"A lot of players talk about certain things, but he's more of an 'I'll do it' (kind of guy)," Field said. "So he's going to go out there and guard the best player. 'Coach, I got it. I'm going to stop him.' Alright, we need a bucket. 'I got it.' So he steps up to the plate in every occasion offensively or defensively ... that's what makes him so dangerous."
Thomas transferred to SC4 after spending two seasons at Marian University's Ancilla College in Plymouth, Indiana. He was named a Division II First Team All-American in 2021.
"This is my first year at SC4, but now I feel comfortable here with the guys," Thomas said. "We've got guards that fit my play style so it makes things easier for me."
Thomas is one of four guards in the starting lineup that's averaging more than 10 points per game. The others are Clayton (15.8), Kelvin Balfour (13.9) and Collin Albert (10.6).
"We've got a long way to go," Field said. "And we've still got a lot of growing to do in certain areas ... but it's (about) continuing to get better."
The Skippers aren't ambiguous about their ultimate goal. They want to win a national championship. And while SC4 is off to a rolling start, it's aware of the complacency that can result from sustained success.
"You've got to keep (your players) mentally engaged," Field said. "Because a lot of the game — after you start doing so well — becomes a mental battle opposed to a (physical one). Instead of figuring out what to do to beat other teams, you've got to figure out how not to beat yourself. We're at that point in the season now."
Contact Brenden Welper at bwelper@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrendenWelper.
This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Amid hot start, SC4 men's basketball prepares for the 'mental battle'
