Baldwin head coach Ben Smith isn’t surprised to see his team having so much success in his first year.
The former Dublin head coach stepped in for Anthony Webb during the offseason and has added to the foundation that his predecessor left. The Braves are in a great place as they head into the final stretch of the season. They are currently ranked No. 6 in Class 4A and are 15-2 overall on the year.
Smith has respect for Webb and is thankful to have stepped into such a great position at Baldwin.
“It’s not a shock (we’re doing so well) and anytime there’s a transition, it’s hard,” Smith said. “Coach (Anthony) Webb changed the culture (at Baldwin) and set a standard during his time here. I’m trying to uphold that, although the guys have adapted to the direction we’re now going in.”
There hasn’t been much to complain about this season if you’re a Baldwin basketball fan. The Braves have won nine of their last ten, and are sitting in first place in Region 4 with a perfect 7-0 record.
Baldwin is one of the premier teams in Class 4A. The Braves have played a tough schedule, with signature victories over teams such as Morrow, Spalding, Westover, Wesleyan, and North Augusta.
Smith is confident his group has the skills and depth to make a deep playoff run this season.
“Not to sound arrogant, but with this group, we’re in a good position,” Smith said. “As far as our record, I’m not surprised, but with how we’re starting to look, I didn’t know it would come this soon.”
Baldwin’s roster is very deep, with seniors Isaiah Dennis and Tremarius “Tre” Lawrence leading the way. A pair of sophomores, Karez Demory and Deven Nelson, are also helping the Braves as well.
The quartet all average more than 10 points per game and are the team’s top scorers under Smith’s direction. Dennis is averaging a team-high 18.9 points per game, with Demory at 11.4 points.
Nelson averages 10.8 points per contest and Lawrence with 10.4 points this year for the Braves.
This is encouraging for a first-year coach to see two seniors and two sophomores leading in scoring.
“They’ve been great, man. They have definitely been the catalysts for us,” Smith said of the group. “Karez is our point guard. Even when he’s not scoring, he is impacting the game in a lot of different ways. He’s our leading rebounder as well. A really tough kid. Tre and him are our on-ball defenders. Tre has been really good as well. He sets the tone for us in so many different areas.
“ … Isaiah is just a knock-down shooter, he’s our leading scorer. (He’s) improving in areas such as rebounding, but he’s been playing well all year. He’s improved from beyond the arc because, against Spalding, he hit eight or nine triples. … Deven is our glue guy. Lately, he’s come on strong. Early on, he had to get adjusted, but now he’s making shots. … They all complement each other nicely.”