Haitian-American point guard Bensley Joseph found second home at University of Miami
Bensley Joseph grew up in Boston, but the moment he arrived at the University of Miami, he knew he had found his second home.
Joseph’s mother, Rachel LaMonge, and her extended family are from Haiti. Joseph was born in Miami and moved to Boston as an infant, so returning to a community with a rich Haitian culture was a major factor in his decision to choose UM over other suitors like Boston College, Georgetown, Marquette and Providence.
“Coming down here for school was a blessing because I knew I’d be closer to my South Florida Haitian family,” said the sophomore point guard. “That’s really cool to experience. Growing up in Boston, I didn’t get to see my family from here very often, so now when I have games, they hit me up for tickets. That’s really fun and cool for them to be in the stands. They hadn’t had a chance to watch me play growing up.”
Living in South Florida also means he gets to practice his Creole and eat his favorite Haitian dishes, including soup joumou, made of squash, beef, potatoes and vegetables. He gets to Haitian restaurants in North Miami whenever he can.
“Haitian food is my favorite food, but it’s not so good if you’re an athlete,” he said, smiling. “If you want to eat some great food and go to sleep after, I recommend Haitian food. Sometimes on off days, I call my aunt and she will come down and bring me a plate.”
The Hurricanes, coming off an Elite Eight run last spring, play an exhibition game at home Sunday at 2 p.m. against Indiana University of Pennsylvania. The regular season tips off Nov. 7 at home against Lafayette.
With Charlie Moore and Kam McGusty gone, UM fans can expect to see Joseph play a bigger role. He will partner with Kansas State transfer Nijel Pack at the point.
“We have two great options at the point, Nijel and Bensley,” said UM coach Jim Larranaga. “They’re a very good combination. Bensley after a year of experience, is a tenacious defender, rebounds well as a point guard, and is distributing the ball well. That really helps Nijel, who’s making a transition from being a two guard at Kansas State to being a point guard here.”
Joseph agreed that he and Pack complement each other.
“My role this year will be a floor general, trying to make all my teammates better, getting them in the right spots, kind of like the quarterback,” Joseph said. “That’s what Coach L preaches for his point guards. He wants us to be quarterbacks who run the show. That, and bringing in my defense.”
Joseph is a student of the game and spent all last season taking mental notes on how Moore handled the ball and made quick decisions. Although he is a different type of player, he plans to channel Moore as much as he can.
“I learned everything from Charlie,” Joseph said. “Playing alongside him last year was a blessing, for me to see how he runs the show. He’s real crafty, has vision, can shoot the ball. The biggest thing I took from him is his pace and how he makes reads. It was so spectacular to watch. Obviously, being a teammate, it was annoying to practice against him. But it was real fun watching him and all the skills he had. I’m trying to get that creativity into my game.”
Pack is a high-level shooter and Joseph feels his style of play will ease Pack’s defensive load and allow him to focus on what he does best.
“Nijel’s a scorer and he’s going to need someone to give him looks and not always be on the ball and that’s where I can help him,” he said. “On the defensive end, he’ll know that he doesn’t need to pick up the best ball handler because he knows I’ll do it. That gives him some slack on the defensive end, so he doesn’t get as tired.”
Joseph hopes that with an elevated profile this season, he can inspire other young Haitians to pursue their dreams. Last week he posted a photo of himself with the Haitian flag on Instagram.
“There’s not many of us Haitians playing at the highest level,” he said. “Bennedict Mathurin is in the NBA. We need more guys like that to inspire young Haitians. I want to be a face to encourage Haitian kids that they can make it, too. You just have to keep pushing hard. I’d like to see a lot more Haitian athletes put on for our country. The only thing most people know about Haiti is the sad news. I want to bring some joy and hope.”