Name: James Stricker
School: Mt. Vernon
Sport: Basketball
Grade: Senior
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Position: Forward
Jersey number: 52
Nominated by: Head coach Travis Daugherty
Signature moment: Stricker scored nine points in a 64-46 win against Indianapolis Northwest and eight points in a 69-33 win against Westfield. Scoring or not, Stricker’s effort is nonstop, according to his coach.
Coach’s take: “The thing that always stands out to me about James,” Daugherty said, “is that from the beginning of the year, he’s the one guy we have said consistently, ‘He just got the most out of himself tonight.’ He’s always steady and always finds ways to get more done than you expect him to. I think that’s the sign of a great team player.”
And, despite a dip in minutes compared to last season, Stricker has embraced his new role while remaining a positive influence on a young, developing Marauders squad.
“He just has provided great senior leadership,” Daugherty said. “He has a great balance of bringing energy and having fun at practice but also competing and making sure we get better every day. If you don’t have guys like that, the season can just be a real grind. Just his personality and his willingness to do his job and contribute in a lot of ways that maybe don’t always get recognized have been critical to the way we’ve grown. He’s been vital in helping some of our younger guys improve and mature over the course of a year.”
– Compiled by Jim Ayello
Beyond the Box Score highlights deserving athletes whose valuable contributions don’t always show up in the statistics. To nominate an athlete, call 317-477-3227 or email [email protected].
