Kyser Irby dribbles near the perimeter, drops back and jumps up for a mid-range shot.

Swoosh.

This is the normal routine for success for the LBWCC sophomore and Camden native, who said he’s worked real hard on his jumper at practice and calls it his main shot.

Just the other day, Irby led the Saints with a double-double 17 points and 11 rebounds in a 62-57 win over Jefferson Davis.

Saints men’s basketball coach Ricky Knight said Irby averages 21 points per game and adds between seven to eight rebounds per effort.

In the win over JDCC, Irby made three jump shots in a short stretch during the first half to help the Saints cut the lead to 38-33 at halftime.

“I made it my range,” Irby said about the shot.

While he’s not shooting from mid-range, Irby said he likes to take the ball to the basket. Defensively, the sophomore is more of a press and man-to-man type player.

Irby transferred to LBWCC from Texas College in Tyler, Texas, to be closer to home. He graduated from Wilcox Central High School.

Many players start playing basketball usually at a young age.

Not so for Irby.

He started playing basketball in sixth grade and grew up in a family of ball players.

“My whole family plays basketball,” Irby said. “My brother; my big cousin.”

In fact, his cousin, Cortez Irby, plays basketball for Southern Polytechnic State University in Atlanta.

When asked if it’s harder to play at the college level, Irby said it pushes him to get better.

“It’s not harder,” he said. “You’ve got to work harder and you’ve got to push yourself. Every player should want to play their best every game.”

Right now, the Saints are 3-1 in the ACCC South Conference. They’ll visit Bishop State today in Mobile.

A goal Irby said the team set early in the year is to get back to the state tournament.

After this year, Irby said he’s going to transfer to a four-year college and play basketball, while studying sports management.