Byrnes head coach Layne Fowler called them “puppy dog eyes.”
After Sukhi Singh started 1-7 from the field against Eastside last Friday, the senior shooting guard returned to a second-quarter huddle with a bit of a gloomy look. His shots just weren’t falling. Disappointment was written all over his face.
Singh had been in a bit of a shooting slump over the past three games. That night against Eastside looked, at the start, to be more of the same. He was in his head.
“Sukhi came over to the huddle, and you could see it on his face,” said Fowler. “He was disappointed with himself. He was getting open looks that night, and they just kept rattling out.”
“I was frustrated. I don’t like when shots aren’t falling,” said Singh. “And that frustration was affecting my defense and other parts of my game.”
Fowler spoke words of wisdom to Singh in that huddle.
“I told him, ‘You’re a senior now. You’ve got to keep your head up and keep playing on both ends of the court,” said Fowler. “And he knew that and snapped out of it. I just reminded him that he was probably going to get 10-12 more good, open looks that night, and not to stay down on himself.”
Turns out, Fowler was right. About all of it.
Singh lifted his head and led his Rebels to a dominant showing after halftime. Byrnes flew to a 94-81 win.
And those open looks? They showed up in bunches. Singh went 8-13 from the field after that huddle. The senior knocked down an absurd seven three-pointers and finished with a career-high 32 points.
Singh even notched a fast-break dunk in the third quarter that sent the Byrnes crowd (and bench) into a frenzy. He’s beloved by his teammates and Byrnes fans, and it shows.
“When my shots start falling like that, and the crowd gets going, it just gets my confidence way up,” said Singh. “Because once that happens, people will start closing me out too hard. That opens up opportunities for me to drive to the rim or kick it to one of my teammates.”
DYNAMIC DUO
Speaking of Singh’s teammates, it’s hard not to associate the sharpshooter with fellow guard, junior PG Colt Fowler.
Singh and Fowler are widely considered to be one of the best backcourt duos in South Carolina.
“I do think we’re the best backcourt in the state,” said Colt. “Because if Sukhi’s not the best shooter in South Carolina, he’s definitely up there. I can always get him the ball, and he makes plays.”
“Colt’s a monster with the ball,” said Singh. “He sets the tone. He gets a bucket, and it opens up the defense, and he gets me the ball. Then, that gives me the chance to hit shots. When we both get going, it’s really hard to stop.”
Sukhi and Colt are completely synergized on the court.
They’re even closer off of it.
This past week, as the winter weather has prevented Byrnes from holding practice, the pair of guards have spent almost every day putting up shots at the YMCA and going out to eat after.
Sukhi Singh (left) and Colt Fowler have formed one of the most formidable backcourt duos in SC.
They’ve closed most nights this week by playing video games together — Rocket League and Fortnite being their two favorite choices.
Through basketball, their friendship has taken off.
“Sukhi and I have been playing basketball together since I was in the seventh grade,” said Colt. “I always knew he was going to be good.”
But 16 points and six rebounds per game? That's a little more than good.
“I think it was the Greer game last season where I knew he was going to be great,” said Fowler. “I realized at that point that Sukhi and I were going to be a great duo for the next two years.”
“That game against Greer was the second game of my junior season,” said Singh. “I didn’t really get playing time before that. I knew I was just going to be a two-year starter. So at that point, I knew people didn’t know who I was.”
Singh had 20 points against Greer in just his second-ever game, shooting 8-10 from the field and 4-6 from three-point range.
“That got me going, for sure,” said Singh. “I think I started getting some attention after that.”
THE BEAT OF HIS OWN DRUM
Long before Singh was lighting it up on the big stage for Byrnes, he was just a fan in the stands.
A young Singh went to every Rebel basketball game he could, both home and away.
He was going to cheer on his brother, Jesse, no matter what it took. Sukhi wanted to be in that same spot one day.
“I’ll be honest, I think Sukhi came to almost every game of mine when I was [at Byrnes],” said Jesse. “He loved watching me play. He tried to make all of the games. He always told me he was going to be playing for Byrnes one day, like I was.”
Jesse — who’s four years Sukhi’s senior —was a very good player in his own right as a Rebel. He averaged over 10 points and five boards in his final year of high school ball. Jesse signed after his senior year in 2022 to play college basketball at Emmanuel University.
The brothers have been close ever since both were just children. Basketball was just one of their many bonds.
“[Jesse] always had a big role in my journey,” said Sukhi. “We played a lot of one-on-one games growing up… he taught me a lot, both about basketball and things outside of it.”
Sukhi (left) with his mother, Rosze Kaur, his brother Jesse, and his little sister.
“Growing up, having a small age gap, we related on a lot of things, whether that was music, sports, or whatever it may have been,” said Jesse. “We were always super close. We just knew that we had to be there for each other.”
From an early age, both Jesse and Sukhi were mature beyond their years. They both saw how hard their mother, Rosze Kaur, worked to provide a life for them and their younger sister.
“She did so much for us and worked so hard for us as kids,” said Jesse. “Sukhi and I knew we had to push each other to be the best versions of ourselves as we could, so we could be there for our mom.”
Kaur, who was born and raised in India, has authored several books and is the senior pastor at New Life Christian Worship Center in Greenville.
Almost every Sunday morning, she’s joined on stage by her youngest son.
Sukhi trades the basketball for the drumsticks, playing drums in the church worship band.
“I never had any lessons or anything at all,” said Sukhi. “I just picked it up when I was younger. I kind of learned it myself along the way.”
Sukhi Singh plays the drums on Sunday mornings during worship at his mother's church, New Life Christian Worship Center.
He’s been drumming since he was 10 years old. And if the ball ever stops bouncing for Sukhi, well, he might just have a second calling.
“It’s honestly kinda crazy how naturally good he is,” said Jesse, laughing. “I’ve always told him that if he put the same amount of effort into drumming as he did into basketball, he’d be one of the best drummers in the world.”
LEARNING TO LEAD
Fortunately for Sukhi, if his trajectory as a basketball player keeps trending up, he can likely keep his drum skills categorized as a hobby.
He’s picked up eight offers to play college basketball since August. Schools such as Piedmont and Bob Jones University have made known they want Sukhi on their rosters.
His most recent offer came from Fisher College — almost immediately after his career-high 32-point performance vs. Eastside last Friday.
Also waiting for Sukhi immediately after his standout showing? A hug and some words of encouragement from Jesse. He’s home from college for the time being and has been at almost all of Sukhi’s recent games.
“He grew up coming to watch me play at Byrnes, and now I get to come watch him play,” said Jesse. “It’s kind of funny.
“I couldn’t be prouder of him. Watching everything he’s worked for come to fruition start to pay off, that’s amazing to see as his brother. It’s been awesome getting to watch him play.”
Jesse Singh (left) takes a college visit with Sukhi at Piedmont University.
But while the work has begun to pay off for Sukhi — and in turn, his Rebels — the senior knows there’s still plenty of work to be done. As a senior, Sukhi has worked hard to refine his role as a leader in his final season.
He hopes to end it by lifting a trophy and a banner in March.
“My biggest thing this year is that I’ve tried to be a good leader for the guys,” said Singh. “I’ve got this connection with the team, and it comes naturally. The leadership part is what I knew I wanted to see from myself.
“Because as a team, we’ve got goals. We want to go win state. And I know I’ve got to keep being a leader for everyone on this team if we’re going to get there.”
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