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They might be the Pirates in name, but Crane basketball plays at a pace more like a speed boat than a pirate ship.
“It’s just how we play and how we press and trap consistently,” said Head Coach Kevin Smith.
It’s a style Smith implemented when he took over as head coach four years ago.
This year’s Crane roster might be best suited for it.
“We’ll play eight or nine every night, there’s no secret,” Smith added. “We’ll try to wear you out.”
The depth is a change for the Pirates, who’ve played more of a top heavy game in recent years, often led by now-senior Isaiah Smith.
“I could tell that I’ve kinda matured more as I’ve gotten older from even sophomore to senior year,” Isaiah said.
That growth has seen Isaiah transition from more of a scorer to a facilitator.
“Me stepping up as a senior leader, trying to get everybody to step into their role and I think that starts [with] me bringing the ball down, swinging it, moving the ball, getting people open and getting their confidence up and I think that’s how we get rolling,” he said.
Isaiah recently set the school-record for career assists, with an eye on the single season record as well. Both are proof of his ability to put the ball in the right spots.
“It comes from team chemistry for the most part, because after you play with everybody you know if they can catch it in harder spots or if you need to put it in their chest and let them finish,” Isaiah said.
This Crane senior says he knows it takes a made basket from his teammates to fill up the stat sheet.
“Getting the assist is not from just me, it’s them finishing the ball with contact or just catching the ball that might be a bad pass and finishing so I couldn’t have [set the record] without them,” Isaiah said.
Ranked No. 2 in Class 2, the Pirates had posted a 16-4 record coming into the week.
That means they feel like this could be their best chance yet to make a playoff run, all the while Isaiah’s time winds down playing for his coach, and dad, Kevin.
“It’s kind of getting bittersweet, because you know it’s going to end eventually, but just not taking every game for granted,” Isaiah said.
“Not a lot of dads [as] coaches get to be a part of their son or their daughter’s journey when they’re having success, and it’s something we can reflect on later in life,” Kevin added.
It’s a reflection that will likely need to wait, as there’s not much time to slow down the pace of these Pirates, and Athlete of the Week, Isaiah Smith.
