Playing for an undefeated basketball team brings enough pressure without Jared DeHart placing any more of it on himself.
To his credit, the Bethel sophomore guard takes what’s been a memorable start to the Pilots season in stride.
Maintaining perfection is extremely difficult in the Crossroads League, which sports six of the teams ranked in the latest NAIA Division II top 25 poll. That includes second-ranked and three-time national champion Indiana Wesleyan, No. 8 Marian and 17th-ranked St. Francis.
Bethel checks in at No. 9 after debuting two weeks ago in the 19th spot. It’s the first time the program has been ranked in three years.
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“We’re probably eventually going to lose, but when that time comes we have to bounce back and keep going in the right direction,” said DeHart, the former Indian Creek standout who starts in the backcourt for the 12-0 Pilots.
“The conference we play in is super tough. Any team can win on any night, so we’re just going out there and doing our best.”
DeHart has played in seven of Bethel’s games, missing the others after spraining an ankle in a 99-84 win over Indiana Tech in October. He averages six points a game for the Pilots, who return to action Saturday when they host Lawrence Tech.
Steve Drabyn, a 2000 Indiana All-Star who played at LaPorte High School, was named the new Bethel coach in April after six seasons as an assistant at Division I Lipscomb, which last season broke new ground as the NIT runner-up.
As a freshman, DeHart averaged 5.9 points a game for a Bethel squad that finished 21-11 and advanced to the opening round of the NAIA National Championship in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
DeHart likes the Pilots’ new style of play even more.
“I really enjoy it. Coach Drabyn’s offense is really up-pace, and that’s the way I like to play,” DeHart said. “We have a lot of competitive guys on our team, so when it comes to close games we find a way to get it done.”
Bethel, which finished the 2018-19 season ranked 39th nationally in scoring average (82.2), is currently third at 95.5 points per game. The team has also made a noticeable step forward in assists per outing, going from 23rd nationally (16.4) to fourth (18.8).
DeHart’s backcourt mate, junior point TreVion Crews, averages a team-high 22.5 points.
“I want Jared and TreVion to play as fast as they are confident playing because I know they’re going to make the right play,” Drabyn said. “Jared is a great kid for how we like to play. He’s unselfish and just a smart player. He makes the right play.
“When he was out with an ankle injury we missed that work ethic that Jared has.”
