Vernon Benson Jr.’s first season as Gateway’s head boys basketball coach gave the Gators plenty to build on.

Gateway finished 18-10, went 12-2 in section play, captured the section championship with three games remaining and advanced to the second round of the PIAA playoffs.

Now comes a different challenge.

The Gators lost a talented senior class led by Mykel Bruce-McCrommon, who Benson considered the best player in Class 5A because of what he brought on both ends of the floor.

But Benson isn’t interested in using graduation as an excuse.

His goal is to build Gateway into a program that doesn’t rebuild — it reloads.

Defense will remain the foundation, while players such as Vamir Grayson, Jonathan Ward and Martin Howard could take on bigger responsibilities. Benson is also looking beyond this season, working to strengthen Gateway basketball from the elementary level up and keep more of the community’s young talent in the program.

With neighborhood rivals Penn Hills and Woodland Hills helping create what Benson expects to be a highly competitive section, the Gators may enter the season with something else motivating them: Benson believes people are underestimating Gateway.

I caught up with Coach Benson to discuss Year 2, replacing a talented senior class, the Gateway basketball standard and what he expects from the Gators in 2026-27.

 

Q&A With Gateway Head Coach Vernon Benson Jr.

Q: Last season was your first year as Gateway’s head coach after spending years in the program as an assistant. What did you learn about yourself being a head coach again that first season?

Benson: I’m a lot calmer at my old age than I was when I was a head coach at Valley and East Allegheny. As an assistant, you follow what the head coach wants to do, even though you have your own identity. The next coach will probably do something totally different than me.

 

Q: You finished 18-10, went 12-2 in section play and made it to the second round of the state playoffs. When you look back, what are you most proud of from that season?

Benson: I was proud of how the guys were a close-knit unit and played for each other. We won the section with three games left. Our playoff win at Milton Hershey was a memorable win. No one expected us to win that game at their place.

 

Q: You lose a talented senior group led by Mykel Bruce-McCrommon. How do you replace not only his production, but the attention he demanded from opposing defenses every night?

Benson: Losing MBM is a lot. I’m not sure we can replace him. I love all my players from last year, but he was the best player in 5A because of his ability to play on both sides of the court.

 

Q: When you lose experienced seniors, opportunities open up for other players. Who are some guys you expect to take bigger roles this season?

Benson: It’s still a little early to tell what guys will step up and be the guy this year. I think collectively we have to be better as a team, both offensively and defensively.

 

Q: What player has made the biggest jump since last season that people outside of Gateway might not know about yet?

Benson: Vamir Grayson has a chance to be recognized this season. Jonathan Ward and Martin Howard come back with the most experience from last year’s team. Howard tore his ACL and should be back in December. Ward is out with an ankle injury. Hopefully, we get them back soon.

 

Q: Last year’s team had a lot of experience. Will this year’s team have a different identity or style of play because of the personnel you have returning?

Benson: Our identity will not change from last year. We will always want to concentrate on being a good defensive team. This year’s team is a lot deeper with talent, so it will be a competitive environment.

 

Q: What do you want Gateway basketball to be known for under Vernon Benson? When somebody watches your team play, what should immediately stand out?

Benson: How we defend.

 

Q: Gateway has a rich basketball tradition, including WPIAL championship teams that you were part of as an assistant. How much does that history influence the standard you’re trying to establish with this generation?

Benson: There have definitely been some good basketball players with the likes of Devon Cotrell, Barnette Harris, Tyler Scott, John-Paul Kromka, Will Kromka, Mykel Bruce-McCrommon and many more. We have started reaching down to the elementary level on fundamentals and building from the bottom. We have been fortunate to have great players come through.

 

Q: You’ve been a head coach before, then spent years as an assistant before getting another opportunity to run your own program. Are you a different coach today than you were during your first head-coaching job?

Benson: I’m a little older, but my philosophies are still the same. They say that you can’t coach kids hard today, which I disagree with. Coaching has always been about relationships and understanding. I try to be straightforward with kids like I’ve always been. Some kids hate you at first, but as they get older, they understand you better.

 

Q: Gateway plays in an area with a lot of basketball talent. How important is it to keep Gateway kids at Gateway and build the program from the youth levels up?

Benson: Over the last several years, we let kids get out of our district for whatever reason. My goal is to build relationships with the young guys, have them come to open gyms and spend time with the older guys to learn the Gateway way.

 

Q: What did your younger players learn from getting to practice and compete every day with last year’s senior class?

Benson: The young guys learned how to come in ready to work hard every minute of practice. They also learned to follow the standard we are developing at Gateway.

 

Q: What do you believe will be the biggest strength of this year’s team?

Benson: Our physicality can be our strength offensively. Defensively, we can do a lot of different things based on the personnel on the floor.

 

Q: What is the biggest question your team still has to answer before the season begins?

Benson: Can we defend at a high level?

 

Q: Who do you expect to be the leaders of this team, both on the court and in the locker room?

Benson: No. 10 Martin Howard is our leader on and off the court. Coaches always told me if you have a player-led team, you’ll be OK. Last year, I had a player-led team.

 

Q: What does your section look like this season, and which teams do you believe will present the biggest challenges?

Benson: Our section will be crazy. Back to the old neighborhood rivalries. Woodland Hills and Penn Hills appear to be the teams everyone is talking about.

 

Q: With the talent that graduated, do you think people around the WPIAL might underestimate Gateway this season?

Benson: No doubt they are underestimating the Gators, as they should until we prove them wrong. I don’t think we got any love last season either.

 

Q: As a coach, how do you balance developing young players with the expectation at Gateway to win right now?

Benson: That’s our standard that we are developing at Gateway — we don’t rebuild, we reload. We have enough talented players to compete every year.

 

Q: What would make the 2026-27 season a successful one for Gateway basketball?

Benson: Winning the section and advancing far in the playoffs.

 

Q: Give me one player Gateway fans should keep their eyes on this winter who might surprise some people.

Benson: Still too early to tell. There are a couple kids that I’m thinking of, but I’ll keep that in my coat pocket for now.

 

Q: Finish this sentence: Gateway basketball will have a successful season if we…

Benson: Are coachable and defend at a high rate.