The St. Joe’s men’s basketball offense is facilitated through their guards, redshirt junior Lamarr Kimble and freshman Jared Bynum. The two are in different stages of their Hawk basketball careers, one a veteran leader and the other a collegiate rookie.
Kimble has made his mark on Hawk Hill for the past three seasons. He has served as captain since 2016, and last season, continued that role despite his season-long injury. Inversely, Bynum’s college career is in its infancy, but spectators wouldn’t be able to tell from his maturity on the court, according to Kimble.
“With the guys we had on the team, he fit perfectly,” Kimble said. “His ability to get room and use his speed would make it hard for the other opponents to guard us. I didn’t know he was going to be playing this well though, he is above where I was as a freshman.”
Bynum knew coming into St. Joe’s that he was going to be held to a higher standard.
“Ever since [Martelli] recruited me, he said he wouldn’t treat me as a freshman,” Bynum said. “Since day one when I got on campus, he has held me to that. He holds me to the standards he holds everybody else to so it forces me not to play like a freshman. It gave me the confidence to compete with the best.”
After observing Bynum’s play, Kimble said he recognizes that they both share a similar mindset when they are on the court.
“He is hungry,” Kimble said. “He wants to be better every day. Those are the two attributes we both have. There is a difference in our games, he has more speed and I am more crafty but in terms of mentality and hunger we are the same.”
Bynum is the only member of St. Joe’s 2018 recruiting class. The rest of the St. Joe’s roster is filled with players who have college basketball experience. The veteran players have helped mentor Bynum during his first semester of Division I basketball.
“Playing with older guys, they are always on me,” Bynum said. “They tell me what I can do better based on their experience. They have played under the coaches longer and been around college basketball longer. They are definitely on me to help improve my game to another level. I am always learning from them, on and off the court.”
Specifically, Bynum has a tight relationship with Kimble. Since the two function as the Hawks’ primary ball handlers, There is a lot Kimble said he wants to teach Bynum.
“He is always helping me with my [basketball],” Bynum said. “He is always pulling me aside and telling me about different plays and stuff. I can learn a lot from him and the pace he plays.”
This relationship has been symbiotic. The pair has helped propel the Hawks’ offense and are the main factor for St. Joe’s ranking second in the nation in fewest turnovers with 7.9 per game.
The two-guard system has allowed for both Kimble and Bynum to have the opportunity to contribute. Kimble scored 31 points in the Hawks win over University of Illinois-Chicago and Bynum followed that performance with a 23 point game of his own against Temple University.
“We just work hand in hand,” Kimble said. “He has the ball, I have the ball, if he needs me to get in the corner and let him work then it goes like that. We play off of each other. There are no grudges over who needs the ball, whoever has it we are fine with that.”
As Kimble’s career winds down, he said he realizes that Bynum is set to take his mantle as St. Joe’s star guard. After getting to know Bynum and watching his college career get off to such a strong start, Kimble said he’s happy to pass the program on.
“That is my little brother right there,” Kimble said. “As you can see, he has the ball in this hands and he is going to for a lot of his career at St. Joe’s. Knowing there is going to be another guard who is going to take up the reign feels great. I feel no shame in giving that up to him because I know what type of player he is and what type of player he can be.”
