Ask Ron Richards what impresses him about his Plum basketball team and he won't mention height or speed or hand-eye coordination.

He'll talk about brainpower.

Several players have grade-point-averages better than 4.0, and senior guard Bobby Theiss is in the running to graduate as class valedictorian.

"They're a really smart group of kids," said Richards, who returned to coach at Plum after a two-year hiatus. "These are some of our best kids in the school, academically, so they're like sponges."

If they're learning, it's showing.

The Mustangs are 9-2, 2-1 in their section, after Tuesday's 35-30 conquest of Penn Hills -- this in a year in which few expected much out of the team.

Senior guard Adam Flood said the team's intelligence has led the way.

"It helps us because smartness on the court can automatically give you the upper hand in games," he said, adding the Mustangs do not get frustrated as easily as other teams.

Plum went 3-0 at the KSA Disney Tournament in Orlando, Fla., two weeks ago and beat section power McKeesport by 20 points last week. Richards said he is impressed with his team's progress and said it is now ready to beat teams it seemingly had no shot against earlier this season.

The Mustangs' two losses were by a combined five points, and both were on the road.

Richards believes the players' academic success, and their work ethic, are evident on the court.

"They want to be successful," Richards said. "They're high achievers so they're successful in a lot of the other things they do."

Richards' return coincided with an exodus -- 85 percent of last season's scoring is no longer around. Three returning players averaged 16.0 points per game combined, and only one -- senior forward Neal McKown -- was a starter last season.

It helps having one of the better sophomores in the area. Guard Nolan Cressler leads the Mustangs in scoring, and Flood called him a "dead-eye shooter."

"If you can get him an open look, he'll drain it every time," Flood said, adding he is impressed with the way in which Cressler has handled the early pressure.

Flood said the team's defense, which allows an average of just 42.2 points per game, has been crucial to Plum's success.

The Mustangs do not possess a lot of size -- no player is taller than 6-foot-4 and section foe Gateway has five players 6-4 and taller -- but Plum does a lot of damage by a balanced scoring attack, which Richards said is one of its best strengths.

The Mustangs have four players -- Cressler, Flood, McKown and Ryan Duke -- who have scored in double figures this season, giving Richards a lot of versatility with his lineup.

Six players average between seven and 13 points per game, and in the win against McKees-port, only one player, Cressler, scored in double figures (10 points) but four others scored nine points apiece.

"You've got to give the kids credit," Richards said. "They're unselfish. You can't have good team chemistry if the kids are selfish."

The team gets along well with one another and is fun to be around, Richards said, which will come in handy as the season progresses.

Flood agreed, adding most of the players are good friends off the court.

Things get tougher for the Mustangs starting tomorrow. Plum will travel to Gateway, the Post-Gazette's No. 2 WPIAL Class AAAA team, in a game that could go a long way to determine who will control the section.

As the Mustangs move deeper in section play, Richards said the key to his team's success is to focus on its strengths and "not get caught up in worrying about the other teams."

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