Mount St. Mary’s men’s basketball senior Jalen Benjamin recently talked with PressBox about the influence of his father, who played hoops at NC State, and more. The 5-foot-10, 160-pound guard averaged 13.3 points and 4.0 assists for the Mountaineers last year following two seasons at UAB. His dad, Ishua Benjamin, played for NC State from 1994-1998, averaging 10.7 points and 3.7 assists in 118 games for the Wolfpack. Jalen Benjamin is a native of Raleigh, N.C., and graduate of Meadowcreek High School in Georgia.
PressBox: How did you become interested in basketball?
Jalen Benjamin: My father, [Ishua Benjamin], actually played basketball at North Carolina State, so it was basically passed down to me. He had great accolades at North Carolina State, and I just wanted to take that on and see if I could be better than him one day.
PB: How did your dad influence your game?
JB: Just him being at the level of Division I, he knows all of the ins and outs of it. Just learning from him brought my game to [another] level, honestly — watching film at an early age, workouts, working on shooting, being efficient and just studying the game all around.
PB: Do you have a lot of memories going to NC State games with your dad growing up?
JB: We used to go to a lot of NC State football games, basketball games. Those were the best times of my life, honestly, just seeing the atmosphere and being around that.
PB: Why did you transfer to Mount St. Mary’s after two seasons at UAB?
JB: I decided to transfer because I just felt like I needed a fresh start. Coming to the Mount, through my recruiting process [head coach Dan Engelstad] was the one that was always calling me. That was something I really wanted when transferring, going to a place that wanted me for who I was and allowed me to be who I am as a player.
PB: Your first college start ironically came against the Mount while you were at UAB. What do you remember from that game?
JB: It was a good game. That was actually one of my best games of my freshman year. I had 19. I ended the game on a game-winning 3-pointer. [Mount head coach Dan Engelstad] mentions that every time he talks to me, like, “Man, if you didn’t hit that 3-pointer, we definitely would’ve had y’all.”
PB: What’s your favorite memory so far at the Mount?
JB: Our stretch last year toward the end of the year, we had a great end of the season. We were winning games. We were having a lot of fun. The atmosphere and environment of the Mount was just amazing.
PB: What’s your favorite thing about the Mount?
JB: I would say the community. It’s very diverse. These people make you feel a part [of it]. It feels like everybody’s a family. It’s support from all areas.
PB: What’s your favorite thing about Emmitsburg?
JB: I’d say how quiet it is, man. Being out here really allows us to focus on school and basketball — what we’re here for, honestly.
PB: Who’s your best friend on the team and what’s a story that underscores your friendship?
JB: I’d say Jaylin Gibson. Ever since his freshman year [in 2021-22], he’s been a sponge to me. This summer I actually took him back home with me to work out with me. He’s taking everything like a sponge, not really talking back, just learning everything and taking it all in.
PB: Who did you look up to early in your college career at UAB?
JB: Honestly, having Andy Kennedy as my coach my sophomore year. He was a big figure in college basketball and he is now a Hall of Famer at UAB now — just learning from him as a shooter, just getting those insights of what to do, what not to do and how to take my game to the next level.
PB: What advice would you give to younger players?
JB: Rankings and everything, that stuff doesn’t matter. You have to go day to day. Everybody has their own path. If you keep working toward your path and what you want to get to, there’s nothing wrong with that. At the end of the day, you’re working to your dreams.
PB: What are your goals for after basketball, whenever it ends?
JB: I’d say after basketball I want to start my own program, get into coaching. I want to give back to the community. I’d say back home starting camps, just giving those younger kids the insights of what college is like, and then community work as well — giving back school supplies and stuff like that.
Photo Credit: David Sinclair