Who really is the unsung hero of boys basketball?

By Zeb Wilson
Updated: January 22, 2014

A hero is a leader, and a leader is someone who inspires the people around them.

If you’ve ever been to one of the boys games on a Friday night, you know it isn’t too hard to spot the leaders on the court. We all know Elijah Walker and Grant Wolfram play with a lot of enthusiasm and intensity, but there are often heroes on a team that don’t get as much attention as the key players do. The title for those players would be “the unsung heroes.”

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By: Eric Peterson-

Connor Davis is a 6 foot 6 inch senior who is an unsung hero and influential player on the Hamilton Boys Varsity Basketball team. He is a good leader, one of the better players on the boards, and he can shoot. He is an all around player who has been an important player in all of the Hawkeyes eight games.

Connor is a big-time leader on this team. Coach Haverdink says, “He helps to keep us relaxed, and that’s pretty valuable playing in a big game”. That can be a big factor going into a tense game; keeping the team calm can make sure they don’t overthink the match-up and play undisciplined. Keeping the team relaxed but also keeping their minds in the right place is something that is very important for any team.

One other thing Connor does well is he plays hard. Coach Haverdink said, “Connor’s biggest success has been his ability to play hard for long stretches of time”. This can be a huge factor if he heats up or creates a mismatch on either offense or defense. If he can expose the other team defensively, he can either step back and knock down a jump shot or take it to the basket and finish hard, which is something Coach Haverdink agrees that he has definitely improved on since last year.

Over eight games this season, Connor has 35 rebounds and 62 points. Having a big man that can rebound and play very well in the post, but also can step out and hit a three any time in the game can lead to a lot of offensive success, and Connor can do all of that. He is definitely one of the most under rated, and influential players on the Hamilton roster.

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By: Zeb Wilson-

When I watch a varsity boys basketball game, there is one guy who really stands out to me as a leader. He plays with an intensity that not many other players do. He isn’t always the top scorer or the fastest guy out there, but he plays his heart out every game. When you have a guy who gives 110% every time he is on the court, it really inspires the players around him to do their best. In my opinion the unsung hero of the varsity boys basketball team is none other, than junior Scott Scholten.

According to Coach Haverdink, “Scottie Scholten is someone that plays with great energy.”

I really couldn’t agree more, as I have watched a couple of the boys practices and Scottie is always out there trying to motivate the team to better themselves. That’s what an unsung hero does, he does great things when not only in the game when everyone is watching, but also behind the scenes in practice.

“Leaders put the needs of the team above their own feelings or weaknesses on any given day,” said Coach Haverdink. I believe that perfectly describes Scott’s attitude towards the game. You can’t get much more of an unsung hero than Scott Scholten.