How North Brunswick basketball turned frustration into first winning record in a decade
It's been a long time in the making.
That's the feeling surrounding the North Brunswick boys basketball team this winter, which finished the regular season with a winning record for the first time since 2014.
But even as the Scorpions have managed a run that includes recording their first win over Hoggard since 2013, a sense of humbleness and maturity permeates the team.
"This group has just bought in and put so much extra time in to doing the little things to give ourselves a chance to compete," North Brunswick coach Kyle Cross said.
Getting to this point has been challenging.
Over the four previous seasons, North Brunswick went 27-42. This winter, the Scorpions (19-6, 9-5 MEC) have flipped the script by coupling returning talent with a rock-solid mental approach.
With its best team in 10 years, here's how North Brunswick basketball went from the bottom of the barrel to one of the Wilmington area's premier teams.
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Establishing a new foundation
Since joining the split 3A/4A Mideastern Conference in 2017, North Brunswick has struggled to find its footing, going 36-79.
Last season, Cross transitioned to the team's head coach, taking the Scorpions to an 11-15 finish that included a playoff appearance. While the record might not have been eye-popping, North's critical playmakers, like Malakhi Daniels, started to emerge.
Daniels finished last season as one of the MEC's top scorers, something he would tell you was never his goal.
"I don't focus on myself, I just want to win," the senior guard said.
Daniels has backed up that statement this winter, taking nearly 150 fewer shots and scoring far less, instead opting to assist teammates and set up successful plays. The approach has worked, and even though his point-per-game average has dropped from 18 to 13, the Scorpions keep winning.
"I may go the rest of my career and never get another Malakhi Daniels," Cross said. "We asked the kids at the beginning of the year what they were willing to give up to play in big games and improve the record, and he said he's willing to give up the scoring. That's rare these days to have."
North Brunswick earned its first win over Hoggard since 2013 on Jan. 30, a 78-67 pullaway in overtime, that solidified the team's improvement this season. The Scorpions nearly beat NCHSAA 4A East front-runner New Hanover a few weeks ago, taking a double-digit lead over the Wildcats in the third quarter.
Games like those stick out to the community and show just how far North Brunswick has come. But for players like senior Ronnie Ballard, success on the court is just one piece of the puzzle.
"We're doing something special here," Ballard said. "We're building a culture, and hopefully, it will spread throughout the whole school."
While Daniels might receive most of the spotlight, players like Terry Hood, who leads the team in assists, blocks and rebounds, have become central to North Brunswick's success.
"It feels great to change the program and try and leave it better than when we came in," Hood said.
North Brunswick capped off its best regular season in a decade by defeating Ashley last week to finish third in the MEC, a feat that's created a new sense of confidence as the team enters the semifinals of the Mideastern Conference tournament on Thursday vs. Laney and next week's 3A state playoffs.
"These seniors have certainly turned this around and put it in a better place," Cross said. "This senior class, across all sports, has definitely left North in a better place than how they found it."
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: With best team in a decade, North Brunswick basketball keeps soaring
