Suburban Life Athlete of the Week: Jayden Wright, Benet, basketball, junior

Name: Jayden Wright

School: Benet, junior

Sport: Basketball

Why he was selected: Wright scored 19 points in Benet’s overtime win over Marist.

He was voted the Athlete of the Week in an online vote. Here is his Q&A with Sports Editor Joshua Welge.

What did getting that Marist win mean, especially with how you won?

Wright: That Marist win meant a lot to us. Coming into the game they were undefeated and they are a very good team with a lot of really good players. We knew they would be well-prepared for us and give us a very tough game. So to say that the win felt good is probably an understatement because it was definitely a game that we really wanted to get with the advantage it gives us in conference as well. To do it in our gym, in front of our fans, in a great atmosphere was the cherry on top of it all.

You obviously played a huge role on last year’s team. How has your game grown since then?

Wright: I think that overall the game has just slowed down for me a lot. I feel very confident this year. One of the biggest growths in my game has definitely been my physical strength because I feel like last year I wasn’t as strong as I needed to be so I put a big focus on putting on more muscle this past offseason. I also think that I’ve got a lot better at attacking the rim and scoring at the rim. I feel like I am a lot more than just a shooter. I also am taking on a big leadership role this year with all the experiences I gained from last year.

What did last year’s experience mean to a lot of you guys back?

Wright: Our experience last year has definitely helped us a good amount. We played in some very big games last year like the Pontiac championship, regional final, When Sides Collide, Pappas Shootout, etc., all against very good teams. So having those games under our belts as players is definitely beneficial to all of us returners. We also did not like the way our season ended at all last year so we have come into this season with an edge because we don’t want to feel what we did last year again.

Your coach is recognized as one of the best. What makes him so good?

Wright: In my opinion I think that coach [Gene] Heidkamp is the best coach in the state. All of the guys on the team love him not just because of what he does coaching us on the court, but how he coaches us off the court as well. He is a great role model for all of us. He has got us in a couple of service projects so far this year and they have been awesome. Another thing that makes him so good is how much he relates to us players and how he is always willing to hear our input. He always prepares us very well and puts in an extreme amount of effort to make sure that we are in the best position to win games, which he is very good at. We would not be half the team that we are without him.

Big tournament coming up at Pontiac. What do you think going into it?

Wright: Pontiac is always a very fun tournament. It has one of the best atmospheres that I have ever played in and I had a great experience there last year so I am very much looking forward to it this year. There are so many elite teams in the tournament that have different styles of play and it is very fun playing against the great competition. I think that we are capable of beating anyone in the tournament if we do the things that we need to do and stay true to ourselves. We know coming into it that it will be a grind, but we will be ready for it.

Do you have a favorite player or team you like to watch?

Wright: My favorite player to watch is definitely Kyrie Irving. I think that he is one of the most skilled players ever and he is very entertaining to watch. I also like watching Steph Curry and I feel like I have a tiny bit of his game in my game.

Finally, it being almost Christmas, what’s a memorable gift you’ve received and what are you asking for this year?

Wright: One of my most memorable gifts I’ve ever got on Christmas was when I was little and got my first NBA jersey. It was a Derrick Rose jersey who was my favorite player of all time and it is something that I will never forget. A gift I’m asking for this year is some new basketball shoes.