There isn’t any place Jordan Schoenfelder would rather be after school in the winter than in the Crothersville gymnasium preparing for his next basketball game.
“It’s a small group of guys, and I enjoy my teammates,” Schoenfelder said.
There are three seniors on the roster, and Schoenfelder is one of the captains.
“It means quite a bit,” Schoenfelder said. “You get out there, and guys look up to you, and they come to you for information sometimes. As an upperclassmen, you’ve got to help them out and make sure everybody is on the same page. Usually the seniors get in front of lines (during practice). We start lines, and then it funnels down class-by-class for the most part for experience.”
“I try to get the JV players pumped up for the games and tell them what they need to do, keep their head in it and that kind of stuff.”
Schoenfelder was the only returning starter from last winter’s team, and he plays most of the time at the small forward position, and sets up on a wing or on the high post.
He said he feels comfortable shooting 3-pointers, and doesn’t have favorite spots to shoot from.
The senior would rather face a man defense rather than a zone.
“With the way our plays are designed, the middle is not usually open as much against a zone as man, and mainly we come off screens on curls, and it’s just easier to work that way,” Schoenfelder said.
One of Schoenfelder’s favorite aspects of the game is the fast break, when he gets to fill a lane.
His high-point games have been 14 against Southwestern and 13 against Henryville, both coming during his junior season.
When the Tigers are on defense Schoenfelder feels satisfied with what is working best for the Tigers, whether it be either a zone or man.
At 6-foot-3, Schoenfelder is one of the tallest players on the Tigers’ roster. He said he works hard on positioning when it comes to rebounding.
“You’ve got to fight hard for positioning because a lot of the teams are a little bit taller than us,” Schoenfelder said. “We’re a little bit bigger than last year, but we’ve still got to work hard and box out to get rebounds. A lot of times I try to use quickness, and if I can’t box out then I try to crash hard and use my jumping ability.”
When the Tigers are pressed on the offensive end, Schoenfelder often finds himself running the point.
The Tigers had a six-game winning streak during the middle of the 2013-14 season, and Schoenfelder said it is going to take a lot of focus and hard work to get this season turned around.
“It’s going to take a lot of work on our box outs, and execution on our plays,” he said. “We’ve got to keep the turnovers down. We’ve definitely got to score more points.”
Having mental toughness plays a role in Schoenfelder’s success on the court.
“It’s real important,” Schoenfelder said. “You can’t get down on yourself if you miss a couple of free throws or something. You’ve just got to imagine yourself hitting your next shot and not worry about the last one. You’re not going to get that shot back.”
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Parents: Pat and Gina Schoenfelder
Siblings: Karlie
Sports: basketball 4 years, baseball 1 year
Athletic highlights: helping the Tigers beat Oldenburg Academy in the Henryville Holiday Tournament. Crothersville has won the tournament two-straight years.
Home games: “I like the home games in here. The crowd is usually pretty good size, and we have a lot of support from the town, and a lot of other people around here.”
Schedule: “We play a real competitive schedule. The first seven or eight games are some of our toughest opponents. It’s Indiana: it’s all good basketball.”
Favorite away gym: “Springs Valley and Orleans, I like both of their gyms. I like the sunken gyms and it’s kind of cool getting to play in the same gym Larry Bird played in. Also, Springs Valley and Orleans have good bands, and it gets you ready for the game.”
Plans after high school: attend college, study to become mechanical engineer
Organizations: National Honor Society, S.A.D.D (students against drunk driving), FFA, Student Council
Favorite food: hot wings
Favorite TV show: Fast N Loud
Favorite athlete: Kobe Bryant
Favorite team: Indiana Pacers
Favorite quote: “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”
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