Practice makes perfect for unbeaten Lenape

On game day, they all are on the same side.

They all wear the same color jerseys. They all pull in the same direction.

But it's different in practice, when one group wears white and the other wears red, when competitive pride and battles for playing time turn the Lenape basketball team into something other than one big, happy family.

"We get up in each other's face," Lenape senior guard Jeff Dinich said.

It works for the Indians. There isn't a star on that roster - certainly not an All-South Jersey player, and maybe not even a first-team, all-conference player - but the team has depth and balance and a toughness that speaks to those daily intrasquad skirmishes.

Lenape is 7-0 after Saturday's hard-fought, 55-45 victory over Pennsauken in an Olympic Conference game. The Indians are No. 9 in South Jersey in The Inquirer Top 10.

This team might not be as strong as the 2009 squad that won the Group 4 state title. But it is following the same blueprint for success - sturdy defense, share-the-wealth offense, and depth developed during practices that are nearly as competitive as the games.

"We've got 12 guys who compete," Lenape coach Chuck Guittar said. "It makes practice a lot of fun. Sometimes, we'll just split them up and let them go after each other. It's always an even matchup.

"They get after each other."

Lenape is allowing just 40.2 points per game. The Indians dig in on every possession because that's what Guittar demands, but also because there are seven guys sitting on the bench ready to replace anybody who doesn't play defense.

It's the same story at the other end. The Indians have featured five different leading scorers this season.

Senior forward Josh Nace led the way Saturday with 16, but 14 came in the fourth quarter. Dinich had 10. Bob Mizia, Sean Kelly, Ben Cunningham, and Brad Robertson all scored between five and eight.

"That's the sign of a good team," Guittar said. "You can't key on one guy. Any one of our guys can step up and score."

It's not always easy to have a team with that much balance, with so many players competing for minutes.

The Indians make it work for a few reasons. One, they win. Two, Guittar and his assistants run a tight ship.

Most important, the athletes have bought in. They battle with each other like crazy in practice. They pull for each other like crazy in games.

"It all goes back to the way we practice," Nace said. "We're so competitive with each other. But our depth is the reason we're such a good team."

Contact staff writer Phil Anastasia at 856-779-3223 or panastasia@phillynews.com.