Prospect Spotlight: Ben Schmiesing (2018)
Photo Credit: Mike Ullery
The Piqua Indians have had great athletic success in years past. This season may be no different. Ben Schmiesing (2018) returns to the court come November giving Piqua a big time scorer capable of taking out any opponent in the paint.
Ben’s offseason has been good. Instead of playing AAU, he elects to do speed training and other workouts that will help him develop his skills on the basketball court as well as on the gridiron where he also plays.
“I feel this is beneficial for both sports I play rather than just one”.
Ben’s best strength on the floor in his opinion is his basketball IQ.
“Although I don’t play the point, I still am able to control the tempo my team plays with and I’m able to set the pace and know when to push or not”.
This comes in handy for the Indians who play in the same division as Sidney, one of the top defensive teams in the GWOC. With a mindset like Schmiesing’s the Indians shouldn’t have to worry about falling victim to pressure defensively. Another aspect Ben dominates in is his toughness. For a 6’1” guard, he rebounds at an incredibly high rate. In fact, he was 2nd on his team with 7 boards a game and also led in scoring with 15 points per game. He can also knock down shots from beyond the arc or driving to the basket. This offensive ability makes him a true offensive weapon.
One of the biggest areas needed for improvement is Ben’s free throw shooting. Last year, he shot 58.6% from the charity stripe. Now he will try and bump that number up, for he will be looked upon for senior leadership and needs to be able to knock down big shots in big moments. Ben demonstrates great leadership and is ready to step up and accept whatever is given to him.
“Last year, I was the main guy as a junior and this year I know I’m going to have to carry a lot of the load for our team to be successful and I love having that opportunity”.
Ben’s attitude makes him a great target for not just college basketball teams, but college football teams as well. In fact he is already being recruited as a linebacker by Ivy League and MAC schools. His biggest offer right now is Davidson College, but he tells me he wants to get a few more after football season. It seems pretty clear Ben wants to play football at the next level, but with his basketball skill, don’t be surprised if a few D3 schools show interest come November.