City of Basketball Love

Jared Leveson (@jared_leveson)

––

(Ed. Note: This article is part of our 2023-24 season coverage, which will run for the six weeks preceding the first official games of the year on Nov. 6. To access all of our high school and college preview content for this season click here.)

~~~

Khalil Brantley and Jhamir "Jig" Brickus are La Salle's most dynamic and experienced players. 

The duo, dubbed the "Killer Bs" by color commentator and former La Salle head coach John Giannini during the Explorers' Atlantic 10 tournament quarterfinal run last season, have different play styles.

The junior Brantley is full-go no matter the moment, while the senior Brickus plays at a patient pace. Head coach Fran Dunphy created another nickname for the two: "Fire and Ice." 

The guards prefer "The Killer Bs," but both acknowledge that "Fire and Ice" best describes their personalities. Brickus is selective with his words. Brantley is outspoken. 

Despite their differences, they're good friends with the same goals. They want to guide the Explorers back to relevance in the Atlantic 10 and compete for a conference title.

"He might not yell at you but he'll tell you in a way that he knows how to," Brantley said of Brickus. "But me, I might come off a little more aggressive. We got the same message."

"We know whatever we say is important," Brickus added. "Both of our voices are important, there's not one higher than the other." 

Brantley and Brickus had strong seasons last year for the Explorers. Brantley, who hails from The Bronx, N.Y., led the team in points per game (14.3), assists per game (4.1), steals per game (1.6), and minutes (33.7). The Coatesville native, Brickus, averaged 9.8 ppg in 32.8 minutes per game and shot 47% percent from the field. 

La Salle's first quarterfinal appearance at the A-10 tournament since 2015 was primarily due to their backcourt. The 6-foot-1 Brantley averaged 17 points and 5.3 assists per game. The 5-foot-11 Brickus averaged a team-high 18 points per game during the tournament, which doubled his season average (9.3 ppg). 

The Explorers got eliminated by Fordham in the quarterfinal round. Despite the sour taste left in their mouth, they learned a lot about their team during that run. 

"I feel like the takeaway I have most from last year is resiliency," Brantley said.   

Now an upperclassman, Brantley has more responsibility than his past two seasons. Sometimes, the fiery Brantley lets his emotions affect him too much on the floor. He’ll get down on himself, and his teammates.

"A lot of these younger guys coming in are going to be looking up at me because I've been here, and I've (done) it," the junior said. "So the toughest thing for me right now is coming to ‘work’ and being the same person every day.

"I'm ‘fire,’ so I gotta come with the energy and be intentional about it because every day I may not be having a good day, but once I step in between those lines, I got 14 other dudes that I have to think about. It's not just about myself and what I'm going through."

He's up for the challenge and can rely on Brickus for help, too. Brickus prizes accountability and how critical it is in keeping a team together. 

 "What I took from the past leaders is being able to hold other people accountable," Brickus said. "A person who brings it everyday, who's loud, making everybody around them better, and a person who just (communicates)." 

There are differences between a New York City guard and a Philly guard, but the pair complement each other well because they want to learn from each other. 

"It's like yo I need to take this from you because your pace is better than mine," Brantley explained. "Or I need to take this from you because you are the place I want to get to." 

Their long-running friendship, which led Brantley to 1900 West Olney Avenue, helps, too. They began competing against one another on the AAU circuit in middle school and continued through high school.

The constant clashes led to a mutual respect for one another's game. They are both smaller guards and could relate to one another more, understanding the doubts cast on them and the work necessary for them to play division one ball. 

Then, when the COVID-19 pandemic prevented Brantley from visiting prospective schools during his recruitment, he reached out to Brickus, a first-year guard for La Salle at the time. 

Their phone call was simple – how are classes, how's campus, what's the team like, etc. But Brickus went that extra step because he wanted to play with Brantley. 

"Me and you will play well off each other," Brantley recalled Brickus saying. "He was like all the off the court stuff you wouldn't have to worry about. I'll make sure you know different spots to go to, for food or anything, just all the off the court stuff he really took care of, and I appreciate him for that." 

It's their bond off the court that's made them the "Killer Bs." They lived together for two years, and their bond became brotherly. Now, living separately, they only bark at one another through a microphone when playing video games instead of through their apartment.

"We enjoy each other," Brantley said. "He will always be my brother ‘till the day I die. That connectivity off the court is a tremendous help on the court." 

Their connectivity gives one another the confidence to lead and be themselves on the floor. They trust one another's words and judgments after playing against each other and together for all these years. 

They're not worried about stepping on one another's shoes. They work best when together. 

Brickus and Brantley feel they need to anchor the defense and set the tone by pressuring other guards, which is something the Explorers didn’t do enough of this season. They’ll once again be the offensive catalysts as well.

They both know the Explorers will go as far as the “Killer Bs” will take them. 

“I’m looking to go out as a winner,” Brickus said. “So anything that involves winning, I'm going to do.”