St. Patrick star draws major recruiting interest as Irish seek historic postseason run
St. Patrick basketball’s Nick Krass is still buzzing from the night he had in his home gym on Jan. 26.
The 6-foot-4 junior guard racked up 40 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals to help take down a talented East Marion squad 68-55.
His night only got better from there.
Krass was being congratulated my friends and family outside the locker room after the game when he looked down at his phone and realized he had three missed calls from Ole Miss coach Kermit Davis.
He had grown accustomed to Davis regularly sending him texts to check out how he and his family were doing, but three missed calls let Krass know that the Leakesville native badly wanted to talk to him.
Krass quickly rang Davis.
“He said, ‘Nick, you would be a great fit for our program and I’ve decided to offer you a scholarship,’” Krass said. “When he told me that, I paused for a second. I said, ‘Coach, could you repeat that?’ I wanted to make sure I heard him right. I was just blown away.”
Two weeks later, Krass still can’t help but smile when he recounts the experience.
“I was high on life. I couldn’t miss. It was awesome,” he said. “I don’t know how to explain it. I hope to feel that way again, help my team win a championship.”
As Krass’s fortunes have improved, so have those for St. Patrick.
The Fighting Irish are entering a critical stage of the season with a record of 22-3 after Wednesday night’s 53-35 victory over North Forrest in the opening round of the Region 8-2A tournament. St. Patrick will play at East Marion at 7:30 p.m. on Friday in the championship game.
Wednesday’s victory guarantees St. Patrick a spot in the playoffs as it looks to make history for the Biloxi Catholic school that played its first season in 2007-08.
Nick Krass steps up for St. Patrick
Krass has made a significant leap statistically this season, putting up 17.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 3.0 steals this season.
As a junior, Krass believes most of his improvement has come from his mental approach.
“I really just think it’s my confidence and leadership ability,” he said. “I had a lot of skill last year, but I didn’t know how to use it. I worked over the summer and during quarantine. I was learning to just play the game and really get my teammates involved.”
Krass, who could run the point or play the two in college, has also been contacted by Southern Miss, Louisiana Tech, Princeton and Southeastern Louisiana. Colorado State and Texas Tech have also recently shown interest.
With Krass’s recruiting stock on the rise, he’s just trying to enjoy the ride.
“It’s something I’ve always dreamed about,” he said. “It still feels surreal, shocking. I’m starting to embrace it and enjoy it.”
With an SEC offer already, Krass doesn’t plan to make a rushed college decision after his junior season.
“As of now, I’m trying to keep an open mind,” he said. “The Ole Miss staff and coaches have been nothing but awesome. It’s an SEC school close to home and you’d be playing against great competition, but I’ll keep an open mind.”
Krass teams with Drew Roth to lead St. Patrick
The Fighting Irish are far from a one-man team with senior forward Drew Roth joining Krass in one of the best one-two punches on the Coast this season.
The 6-5 Roth is averaging 21.6 points and 10.4 rebounds to lead the Irish in both categories.
When Krass is trying to find an open man, it’s usually Roth he’s looking for.
“Nick’s really good at driving penetrating and creating,” Roth said. “I just try to get open for my shot. When it’s there, I take it.”
While Roth is more likely to be found in the post, St. Patrick coach Keith Robinson believes each player impacts the game in similar ways.
“Both are really wing players,” Robinson said. “Drew plays inside a good bit. He’s got the height, but he’s a great inside, outside combo player. Drew can score. He’s a great rebounder and he’s all about the team. He puts the team first.
“Nick is more of a guard, but he can play inside. He’s more of a shooter and good at creating his own shot. He’s very quick for his height. Those are two talented players and they’ve formed a great chemistry.”
St. Patrick aims for deep run in 2A playoffs
After coming up just shy of the Class 2A state semifinals a year ago, St. Patrick should be battle-hardened as it prepares to enter the postseason. East Marion, which features a Div. I prospect in 6-7 senior forward Caleb Rawls, and North Forrest gave the Irish stiff competition in region play, each beating St. Patrick once.
To be competing at a high level against quality competition is a significant step for St. Patrick. Wins this season over Class 4A Bay High and Class 6A Ocean Springs haven’t been easy to come by in the past.
The program has been showing steady progress under Robinson, and it seems like this year’s squad is capable of taking St. Patrick basketball to a new level.
“It does feel like we’re building something,” Krass said. “Coach Robinson is an awesome coach and Drew is an awesome player and awesome guy. The team is really coming together and becoming something special.”
The chances of the Irish going deeper in the postseason can only be helped by a solid chemistry that’s been developed on and off the court.
“I think we’re a team that loves each other, likes to play together,” Roth said. “We’re really supportive of each other on the court and the bench. On the court, everybody wants everybody to do well and we look after each other.”
The Irish have never made it to the semifinal round in the state tournament, but this year’s team appears capable of getting at least that far.
Robinson, who coached previously at Pascagoula, understands that his team has to have things go in its direction once the playoffs begin.
“We have to avoid injury like every other team in the state,” he said. “The COVID situation, we want to be careful. We try to do things the right way and so far we’ve been fortunate. We just have to make sure we play our best. That’s the key. Everybody has to play together as a unit.”
This story was originally published February 11, 2021 at 7:56 AM.
