Dru Joyce needs no presentation of greatness.
In its two decades as San Vicente-St. Mary’s head coach has seen many outstanding basketball players come through his program, especially including LeBron James. The newly engaged state of Ohio commits Malaki Branham is the last star to dress for the Fighting Irish.
The 6-foot-4-inch, 175-pound escort assisted St. Vincent-St. Mary wins the state championship in her first season, goes 24-4 and reaches the state title as a sophomore and has another successful season as a junior before the 2019-20 campaign was interrupted due to the pandemic that closed the sports this spring.
Joyce took time out on Tuesday afternoon to speak to Eleven warriors to offer information on Branham. At the time, he said that Branham had not told him which school he would attend. As we learned Wednesday, Ohio’s top prospect will be a Buckeye.
What are your favorite memories in Branham’s game as his coach, and what kind of player is he?
Joyce What he has become is what most coaches want as a scoring player. He is an efficient scorer. You don’t have to take many photos. He is very efficient. It’s going to be 50-60 percent, either from behind the 3-point line or inside the 3-point line. That is what you want from a player. Get to the free throw line and take free throws. In addition, he can make the past correct, and defensively, he understands how to use his length to protect the little ones and he uses speed to protect the older ones. He will play for his coaches.
Branham is a talented player, but is there anything he does on the court that is particularly exceptional?
Joyce I think he can score from all three levels, and his mid-range pull-up sweater keeps getting better and better. He understands how to create that shot very easily. And with its length, when it stops and rises, it is very difficult to defend.
Branham has talked about wanting to improve his 3-point range and efficiency. How have you seen that area of your game progress through the years?
Joyce Every year, it has gotten better and better, and that is what you are looking for in terms of growth. It just continues to evolve as a player. From a coaching point of view, that’s what you want more than anything, it’s continuous growth. And as he has grown as a player, his confidence has grown. With success, your confidence continues to grow.
Is there something that most people may not notice that is important to understand regarding Branham and how he got to this point?
Joyce I think he acknowledges that it’s not just about him. He’s a team boy. He understands that this is how we play. We have always had great players here. You have to be able to play with other great players. The guys who can do that are the ones who generally go the furthest. You know how to be successful and still involve others.
Off the court, how have you seen Branham mature, and what is he like as a person to be and train?
Joyce He is a kind of reserved personality. He is not that boisterous guy. It is reserved for itself. A boy of high character. You don’t have to worry about him doing something that could bring a bad name to the program or to himself.
How have you seen Branham deal with the recruiting process and how have relationships developed over the years?
Joyce He’s been a very good listener, and that’s what we’re talking about. And then, you know, there is a difference between someone who loves you and someone who needs you. And then you still have to be able to rank: “This is where I always wanted to go to school, but maybe they never recruited him.” Now, it’s about these other schools that may not have been at the top of your list, but you are at the top of yours. That is what we have considered, in regards to all this. It is a fit thing. Where do you feel most comfortable? You’re going to be spending some very formative years in a program, so you should be able to make sure everyone knows how much it means to you. But you should be able to communicate with your new teammates. Sometimes it’s a difficult fit, but you should do your best to make sure it’s the right fit for you. And I understand that, hey, in college basketball the most important thing now is the transfer. If you don’t like it, transfer it. But I have encouraged him as he has been here: there have been a lot of schools trying to get him out of here. ‘Hey, stay where you are comfortable and don’t listen to all the noise because the grass always looks greener, but often it isn’t.’
Where does Branham fit on the court in the next level to maximize his play?
Joyce It is a double guard and hopefully it will become a combo. A two-one, not one-two. A double guard who can slide and give the person in a situation a few minutes, go into that and believe.
When you project it at the university level, what kind of career do you imagine I have?
Joyce Two or three years to develop it, I think he will become the type wherever he goes. Here at St. Vincent-St. Mary, he is the boy. But that does not mean that he will be the top scorer. It means that he is going to be the leader and that he is going to lead, and there are many ways to lead. That’s what we’ve tried to help you with over the years, just to understand that, OK, you’re not the most vocal type but that doesn’t mean you can’t lead. And help him understand that leading by example can be as powerful as being that vocal leader.
