The Times Athlete of the Week: Ottawa’s Payton Knoll digs Drake, sports and hot sauce on his cheese curds

After securing 137 of 324 votes cast, The Times Athlete of the Week, sponsored by Northern Insurance Group, LTD; Jim Boes Services; and Christian Reynolds American Family Insurance, is Ottawa boys basketball’s Payton Knoll after Knoll’s 24-point performance at Rochelle led the Pirates to an Interstate 8 Conference victory.

Also on the ballot were runner-up Alyssa Zellers (Seneca girls basketball), Christian Benning (Streator boys basketball) and Nolan Bobee (Sandwich boys wrestling).

Next week’s ballot will be online Monday morning and accessible via Facebook (The Times Sports) and Twitter (@jtpedelty), with voting going through midday Wednesday.

Here is a Q&A with this week’s winner:

Do you have any nicknames?

Knoll: Nicknames I am frequently called are just “P” or “PK.”

What do you see as your role on the team this season?

Knoll: My role on this team is to lead by example and keep everyone competing, and to make sure we never give up.

With your being a multisport standout and basketball season winding down/spring sports about to begin, how difficult is it to make the transition between sports? Has it gotten easier or more difficult as you’ve gotten older?

Knoll: The older I have gotten, the easier it has been to make the transition. I’ve learned to balance my time between the two, and in my free time getting equal amount of reps for both sports.

How old were you when you started playing basketball, and who first taught you the game?

Knoll: Since I could stand I would shoot downstairs in my basement with a Nerf hoop my mom and dad set up.

What is your pre-game routine?

Knoll: Before I even start my pre-game routine, I like to have a No. 5 sandwich and a large Powerade from Jimmy John’s. My pre-game routine is to stretch out, then go into form shooting about 10 feet away from the basket. Following that, I work on my touch around the hoop with floaters and reverse layups, and then I slowly work my way back toward the 3-point line.

When you’re shooting around solo, what music do you listen to?

Knoll: When I shoot around by myself, I tend to listen to rap, mostly Lil Uzi Vert and Drake.

Kingman Gym has been recognized as one of if not the best high school gymnasium in Illinois. What’s it like calling Kingman your home floor? What’s special about it?

Knoll: The special thing about Kingman is that it has never changed, and you can feel all the history that has come through before me and see all the banners of all the great teams that played on this same court.

Is there a fact about you that might surprise people who only know you through sports?

Knoll: My favorite snack is cheese curds mixed with hot sauce; also ideally a large Hi-C from McDonald’s.

Do you have any college plans yet? If so, do they involve sports?

Knoll: I plan on finding somewhere to play baseball and study kinesiology/exercise science.