Gideon Schena joined the Otselic Valley basketball team with guard skills. Schena recently moved into the OV school district after living in the Boston, Massachusetts area, and from the moment he stepped on the floor, Vikings head coach Dave Loomis knew he had found someone who could play center.
Schena is by far the biggest player on the Vikings’ team, and after a slow start to the season, has come on like gangbusters. In his last two games – both victories – Schena has 57 total points and 35 rebounds. Over his last five contests, he has averaged 20 points and 16 boards, this from a young man who had never played forward or center until the first day of practice in November.
“I think it was frustrating for him at the start, and he realized he had work to do,” Loomis said. “But he’s doing okay with it.”
Schena, in Loomis’s estimation, is still a work in progress through the first six games of the season. The longtime OV mentor expects a lot of improvement from Schena as the 2011-2012 progresses, and that is a scary proposition for all future opponents. Right now, Schena is one of Chenango County’s top scorers and rebounders, and his recent performances have earned him our honor as Smith Ford Supercenter/Evening Sun Athlete of the Week.
Schena moved into the OV district shortly before the start of basketball season to live on his aunt and uncle’s family farm. He played football for his high school team in Massachusetts, and was a starting linebacker for a school that is much, much larger than Otselic Valley. As mentioned, Schena also had basketball experience, but it was strictly as a perimeter player. Making the move from outside to inside player was a big transition.
As a rule, Loomis prefers that his centers play near the basket – on offense and defense. He doesn’t necessarily expect a lot of scoring, but he does expect his center to rebound well. Loomis began the process of teaching Schena how to play center, and his senior newcomer is still developing his back-to-basket offensive game. As for rebounding, Schena has that part of the game down pat.
“He plays with such a high level of intensity, and he’s a big, strong kid,” Loomis said. “Because of his explosiveness, it puts him in position for defensive rebounding and offensive put-backs almost continually. He’s quick and strong, and he has a nice little jump hook that he is developing.”
Despite Schena’s undeniable success, it’s hard to believe this is a young man who had little to no skills as an inside player six weeks ago. He has made up for the lack of experience with a high level of athleticism, and he’s picking up the intricacies of playing in the low post at a rapid pace. Above all, Schena’s high level of intensity is rubbing off on the rest of the Vikings.
“Mike Larkin and Trevor Marston are taking the ball to the basket more aggressively than they ever have,” Loomis said. “Jason Olin is just a freshman, but knocking heads with Gideon in practice every day has really helped him.”
Having a player of Schena’s caliber join the OV team this year has allowed the Vikings to consider loftier expectations down the line, especially knowing that Schena’s learning curve is on the upswing. “He’s really fitting in nicely,” Loomis said of Schena. “He’s still in the learning stages by all means. As the season goes on and Gideon continues to improve, I think we could have a team to contend with.”