Intramural Basketball Season has arrived as numerous teams have been competing throughout the semester, locked in with games within their league.
The sport is divided into three divisions: A league, B league and C league. A league is considered the top division with higher skill level of competition.
Within the A league, there is one freshmen team who goes by “Big Baller Brand,” or BBB, inspired by LaVar Ball‘s company brand. Four students — point guard Rein Rigor, power forward Chandler Young, small forward Phil Dundie and Isaiah Dean, student coach and freshman redshirt guard for Pepperdine Men’s Basketball — each express what the league means to them.
“I feel like I run close to all these guys on my team,” Dundie said. “We do things outside of intramural now. It’s not just a basketball thing, but I have friends off the court and everything.”
Where It All Started: A Place of Passion
Each team originated from the same passion: love for playing basketball. Each athlete in all respective teams competes by balling out through their handles, skill and determination.
Rigor plays point guard for the BBB team. He started playing basketball when he was 4 years old, and it became a big passion of his. He grew up watching it and playing it all the way to high school, he said.
“I just wanted to keep playing,” Rigor said. “The best part is being able to continue doing what I love most but also being able to play with all my friends and have a good time while staying active.”
Similarly, Young has been playing basketball for about 11 to 12 years. He said through intramural, he stays active with a level of competitiveness that gives him a sense of enjoyment. That enjoyment is the same enjoyment he felt when he played in high school, Young said.
He elaborated on the difference in competitiveness in playing in the league versus in high school.
“Personally, the atmosphere in high school played more into the game then,” Young said. “And now, it’s kind of a neutral site. There’s not really much of a crowd. Now, it’s just purely basketball.”
Beyond just the passion for the sport, the team’s chemistry is just as important to make the game play out the way they want it to despite the mix of different players’ skills and styles.
Dundie is another player on the team. Doubling as a referee and a player, he joined BBB as the environment offered him the best things possible: playing basketball, being on a team with friends and being in a competitive atmosphere.
“Our team chemistry is pretty good for the most part,” Dundie said. “We bounce off of each other. When there’s a positive play, we continue with positive plays. But at times, when we get down, we’re really down. So it’s really important to try and stay in the middle.”
Furthermore, each team has a coach. In BBB, the coaching responsibilities lie with Dean, a member of the Men’s Basketball team.
“So, I just wanted to be, even though I wasn’t going to be a player for intramural, part of the team somewhat and help out,” Dean said. “I became a coach and just to be a good, positive influence among my friends and players.”
Dean’s experience as an athlete translates to his coaching, he said. To him, when you are a player, you want to hear positive reinforcement from your coach. Therefore, he makes sure to consistently say positive messages while being critical and offering transparent feedback, he said.
Within the Game: Personal Skills, New Pressure, Strategies
Each division’s season starts off with a pool play, where all the teams play against each other every week to build their team’s record. The better the record, the better they are seeded in the playoffs. And then, off to the finals.
Specifically, the BBB team has an overall record of 3-2. There has proven to be some challenges as each team deals with adjusting to new competition.
“There’s a bit of challenges playing intramural basketball, not just the shorter games and adjusting different play styles,” Rigor said. “Obviously, a bunch of men that are more grown and just [have] different backgrounds of basketball.”
Each game is divided into two 20-minute halves of continuous running time. With less time than a regular competitive game, it could prove to be difficult at times to execute their game plan to clutch a win.
Yet, to the players, beyond just team effort, each focuses on their individual skills.
Rigor compares his playing tendencies to Darius Garland, NBA player and Cleveland Cavaliers guard. As a point guard, Darius is a quick, shifty guard with a tight handle and a nice pull-up mid-range, Rigor said. He expresses the personal skills he tries to work on each game.
“I’ll say specifically, maximizing that chemistry and just being able to read the floor as best as possible,” Rigor said.
For Dundie, he understands he is not the biggest, fastest nor strongest on the team. Therefore, he really tries to focus in on defense and rebounding, he said.
As the coach, Dean’s strategy for the team lies in a good defense.
“When the competition gets tight, I try to mainly focus on playing good defense,” Dean said. “I look out for who’s putting in [the] most effort.”
Although games can become heated with fierce competition, to the players, intramural basketball is a place of lighthearted fun where they want to win.
“I like being in the environment of casual basketball; it’s pretty fun,” Dean said. “It’s intramural basketball; you just want to go out there and want everyone to play and have a good time. You could shoot whatever shot you want and have fun with it.”
What It Means to Them
Despite their busy schedules, players come together once a week — playing basketball has quickly become an important part of their college experience.
“Since we play every Monday, it’s a nice thing to take my mind off of school and how busy I am, to do something that I used to enjoy doing on a daily basis,” Young said.
It’s a place that allows them to step away from their personal or academic responsibilities and puts them in a social setting where they can express their passion for the game, Young said.
“It’s just given me something to look forward to,” Dundie said. “During the week, with school work, things can get stressful. I can be anxious about tests, and [now] I have something like an outlet, a de-stressor, where I can hang out with my friends, play basketball and everything.”
The season is underway as they continue to play through the first games of the season, hoping to kickstart playoffs on a high note and make it to finals. The next game for BBB is April 7, the beginning of playoffs.
“I want everyone to have fun,” Dean said. “But there’s a tournament at the end I want to win. I want to beat every team and win the tournament, the whole thing.”
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Contact Christine Park via email: christine.park@pepperdine.edu
