Pine-Richland grad Kyle Polce provides glue for top-ranked IUP men's basketball

Every team needs a glue guy and Kyle Polce has embraced that role with IUP men’s basketball.

Someone that is willing to come off the bench, play tough defense, dive for a loose ball and take a charge when necessary.

“Those things add up slowly,” said Polce, a Pine-Richland grad. “It may not show up on the stat sheet, but I believe that role can help my teammates.”

Polce’s play has helped the Crimson Hawks ascend to the top of the NCAA Division II rankings. IUP has been ranked No. 1 since Dec. 21 and has started the season 18-0.

Last year, IUP made the final four and has followed up that effort well.

“Being No. 1 right now has definitely put a big target on our backs for every school we play,” Polce said. “Being in the gym every day with this team I can tell you this is a very close team. We have trust in each other and whether it’s practice or a game we’re going to give it our all. Everyone on the floor is going to do what they need to do to get the job done.”

Polce was a standout guard at Pine-Richland, helping the Rams reach the 2021 WPIAL Class 6A championship.

He’s had a few starts with IUP, but he knew his role as a sophomore would primarily be as a source of energy off the bench and a positive influence. He also knows his time to be leaned on as a scorer is coming down the road.

“I knew coming in that we had returners like Shawndale Jones and Dave Morris, who were our top scorers,” Polce said. “They’re going to get most of the shots and they should. The coaches just told me when the ball comes to me to be ready to take the open shot. In the locker room, I just want to be a sociable guy and help any of my teammates out if they are struggling with anything and encourage anyone that I can.”

Polce knew early on that this year’s team had the makings of something special.

He said trips to Miami (Fla.) and Syracuse for exhibition games helped the team bond.

IUP lost both games, but the results were less important than the growth within the team.

“Those two games brought us together,” Polce said. “We were on the road. We flew to Miami and were around each other all the time. We weren’t discouraged with how we played. We competed with Syracuse most of the game. Being able to compete with a team like that made us feel we could compete with pretty much any team we come up against.”

IUP has been one of the top defensive teams in Division II all year, holding a dozen teams to 60 points or less.

They’ll look to carry the momentum into March, but Polce and the team is concentrated on the present.

“Our end goal is to get back to the final four and this time get to the national championship and hopefully win it, but we have to focus on one game at a time,” Polce said. “We aren’t worried about keeping the undefeated season going. We are just taking it one day at a time and focusing on the next team we’re playing.”