By Smailyn Nicasio

The season has been well underway for the Boys’ Basketball Team at Pace — a team that in just a matter of five weeks have collected wins for all ten games they have played. A feat they would not have been able to complete without the leadership of senior Brandon Darbhunauth and Raul Vazquez and the skills of players like junior Alydou Dagnogo, sophomore Demarco Ransom and freshman Nathaniel Smith.

While the boys on the team should certainly feel proud of their accomplishment, Coach Nicholas Lee stresses their focus should be placed on what truly matters: academic success. Already in the season, players who were perceived to be essential during preseason are not allowed to play because of their grades or decisions they have made. While other coaches would tell their athletes not to worry about the academics and solely focus on the sport, Coach Lee has no qualms about benching people to ensure they understand the repercussions of their actions. “Humility is important,” Coach Lee insists. “No one should think their perfect and invincible on this team” just because they play a sport. To Coach Lee, being a student athlete does not mean just getting play time on the court, but showing their dedication, commitment and capability in class. The boys who are currently eligible to play on the team deserve to play for the work they have put in for this season.

Looking forward to the rest of the season, as a school we should expect more success from the team on the court. Compared to the other teams in the Manhattan South B League, the Pace Basketball Team is a strong contender. “I would be surprised if [there is] more than two losses [ this season],” Coach Lee says.