On the morning of its season-opening matchup with Flint Elite during the first annual Flintstone Classic, the International Academy of Flint boys’ basketball team spent some time looking back to how last season ended, with a loss to Flint Elite in the district finals.
“We watched the game that they beat us in this morning,” said coach Kevin Crosby after IAF beat Flint Elite 63-55 in the opener. “We went into the fourth quarter down five, it was 34-39, and we lost by six points in the game and gave up 18 offensive rebounds. So number one, the biggest word on that board in that locker room (today) was rebounds.”
International Academy used its length inside to force turnovers and create second chances with offensive rebounds, and relied on steady guard play to build a 16-point lead at halftime.
“I thought for the most part, the bigs were doing their job and rebounding and being physical,” Crosby said.
Those are among the foundations of International Academy’s program, but the togetherness of the team is also key to the team’s championship level goals this eason. IAF finished last season 20-4, but the district loss to a Flint Elite team they’d beat in the regular season has them focused on consistency and constant improvement this season.
“It meant a lot (to beat them), we lost to them in districts and it just made us want to beat them (even more today),” said junior guard Darrio Felder, who had 18 points and led a backcourt that should be a strength of the team all season.
Flint Elite made a run at the end of the third and beginning of the fourth quarter to cut into the lead, and a three by Flint Elite’s Dei’On Wright cut it to two with 4:30 left in the game. But Crosby let his team play through some mistakes and was pleased with how they responded.
“It came down to the guard play,” Crosby said. “Championship teams are player-led, player solutions, player initiatives. So I’m very proud, proud of the guards that came together towards the end. Even though we lost some momentum and took a punch, they (the team’s guards) didn’t respond with trying to score, but to settle down, defend, rebound, and control the game.”
Felder and fellow junior Antonio Santiago both handled pressure well all game, and created their own on defense. Two quick baskets by Felder and then a three by Kaderion Westbrook helped the Phoenix retake control and put the game away. Brandon Jackson came up with timely rebounds and deflections on defense throughout the game. Then, on a late possession, IAF took nearly a minute off the clock by moving the ball all over the court with precise passes that had Flint Elite’s defense scrambling trying to come up with a turnover.
Crosby said the team’s leadership and response in that situation was a “big step forward” from where they were in a fall league and showcase in Grand Rapids they just played in prior to the season. He has high hopes for what the team can accomplish this season if they keep playing together.
“This is probably the best team I’ve coached at IAF in terms of the glue, the continuity, the camaraderie of the players, the accountability, and they’re just passionate about winning,” Crosby said. “They care and it comes out, the main thing is just keeping our focus together every possession. I’m proud of the trajectory.”
The 8-point win over Flint Elite is actually the closest game International Academy has played so far this season. They beat Durand by 32 in the season-opener and Beecher by 20 on December 9.
“We’re playing IAF basketball,” Felder said. “We’re all playing in our lanes.”
Crosby likes to use a big rotation in order to put constant pressure on opponents with the team’s speed and depth. That requires everyone on the roster being ready to contribute, but it also requires an understanding of roles.
“We like to go deep in the bench, and I don’t believe in suiting guys that can help us,” Crosby said. “That’s our identity. We like to play fast, we like to play together. We like to keep the game simple.”
The team has five seniors and three juniors, so there’s a high level of varsity experience, which could lead to a special season.
“I feel like we can win the championship,” Felder said. “I’m just trying to show that I can be a floor general, play for my teammates, set people up. I think I do good in those categories.”
“They can go all the way,” Crosby said. “I’m just focusing on the daily vitamins that they have to have (to get there): Being on time for school, being in uniform, going to class on time, giving their best effort, and really focusing on being student athletes. I think who you are on the court is a representation of who you are in the classroom. My biggest thing is they can walk away with those life skills, a hunger for winning and seeking development, always learning, then my job is done whether they play college ball or not. They belong to something bigger than them, and they walk away with transferable skills that they can go in any arena and find success based on the things that they learn as a teammate.”
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