Feature Article: Player Spotlight Brandon Triche

Player Spotlight: Brandon Triche

As the backcourt starter enters his senior season at SU, Triche looks to King of Kings to help develop his skills.

As Brandon Triche glides past his defender on his way to the hoop, you can tell you are watching a special talent. The former Jamesville-Dewitt high school star and current Syracuse University guard certainly has a presence when he is on the court. Triche, built like an ox with a 6’4’’ 205 pound frame, can do it all: Shoot, pass, defend, rebound, dribble, and explode past defenders. Triche is always looking to get better, and that’s why he spends his summers playing in the King of Kings basketball league in Utica, N.Y.

“You can’t get this type of competition anywhere else in New York,” said Triche. “The pace here, you have D1 guys, D2 guys, D3 guys, and guys that are gunnin’ for you because you play D1. It’s the best place to play. You know there’s nothin’ doin’ in the summer, and the level [of play] here [at King of Kings Utica], you can’t find anywhere else.”

Triche is certainly right about that. Team Motivated, the team Triche plays for, also boasts Syracuse reserve Michael Carter-Williams and former blue chip recruit and incoming Syracuse freshman from Jamesville-Dewitt Dajuan Coleman. These three have enough star power to carry a league, let alone a single team.

Malvin Triche, Brandon’s father who is the coach of Team Motivated, agrees that King of Kings is the best place for regional players to compete during the summer. “It keeps the kids in shape during the offseason. There is nothing else left in the summer, so all the talent comes to the King of Kings. The competition is what makes this league special.”

Brandon Triche agrees that the league is special, but for different reasons. “The atmosphere here man, it’s fun. The King of Kings is all about havin' fun. The freeness of the league, the atmosphere, you don’t find other leagues like this.”

As competitive as the league may be, nobody will argue that it is the same as playing Division 1 basketball. That’s why Triche uses this opportunity to test out moves he works on in practice against the highest level of opponents he can find. “You know, we’re workin’ out all summer, practicing all summer, here [the King of Kings league] is a chance for me to come down and see what moves work and what moves don’t, what I need to work on and what I need to improve on.”

Triche and his team look to rebound after last year’s loss in the finals. They certainly have the talent to do so. “Were hopin’ to take the league,” said Triche. “We have the talent, we have the guards, we have enough guys, and we have the team to win. I think we are capable of winning. We just have to go out and play.”

Triche and Team Motivated are off to a good start, winning their first two games in blowout fashion. It will be interesting to see if anybody can keep up with the high-powered trio of Triche, Carter-Williams, and Coleman. One thing is for certain; having these types of players at the King of Kings is a treat for area basketball fans to watch during the summer. Hopefully the summer basketball league in Utica helps Triche take his game to the next level as he prepares for his final season at Syracuse.