“My teammates and coaches have played a big part in both of those awards. I started the season off kind of slow and wasn’t shooting a good percentage at all. No matter how many shots I missed, my teammates kept telling me to shoot the ball, and that the next shot is going in. They instilled confidence in me, and it has truly helped me play better.” –Kyle Pulliam

STAC freshman guard Kyle Pulliam’s first weeks as a Spartan didn’t go as well as he’d hoped. His 13 points in a game against Golden-Beacom in late November was Pulliam’s only double-digit performance during the first two months of the season. 

“I started the season off kind of slow and wasn’t shooting a good percentage at all,” Pulliam says.

But it was his teammates that kept him going. 

“No matter how many shots I missed, my teammates kept telling me to shoot the ball, and that the next shot is going in. They instilled confidence in me, and it has truly helped me play better.”

Since then, Pulliam has twice been named rookie of the week in the East Coast Conference, with a season-high 26 points on 6-for-8 shooting from behind the three-point line against Mercy College on February 8. 

Pulliam has been one of the 24-4 Spartans’ most improved players as the team heads into the ECC tournament on Saturday, March 4 at Aquinas Hall Gym. 

The Washington, D.C native has progressed with each game while adjusting to Coach Matthew Capell’s fast-paced system. He has had multiple games where he tallied 15-plus points and more than five rebounds.

In late February, Pulliam dropped 14 points on Molloy College and was tenacious on the boards, grabbing eight rebounds and helping secure a 24-point victory in the last game of the regular season. 

The Spartans finished first in the ECC during the regular season, earning a first-round bye in this weekend’s tournament.

We interviewed the freshman who goes by “KP” to find out a little bit more about him.

Where is home for you? 

I was born in Washington, D.C. and have lived in Maryland ever since. I currently live in Silver Spring, Maryland which is 15-20 minutes from D.C. 

Where did you attend high school? 

Me and my two sisters all attended the same high school. We went to Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Olney, Maryland. I played JV my first two years and did not start varsity until my senior year. 

Why STAC? 

A lot of factors were in play when making my college decision, but the thing that separated STAC from every other school was the energy and effort they put into recruiting me. The coaching staff would constantly check in on me and showed me that I wasn’t just another recruit.

When I came on my visit I saw how well the players bonded with each other, and I wanted to be a part of that.