Monsignor Martin League Player Spotlight Series: Aaron Stein, G
Western New York is an underrated basketball hotspot chockful of promising, talented recruits. The 2019-2020 Monsignor Martin League (Buffalo NY) was highly competitive and produced many memorable moments for both teams and individuals alike. This series will focus on…
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Western New York is an underrated basketball hotspot chockful of promising, talented recruits. The 2019-2020 Monsignor Martin League (Buffalo NY) was highly competitive and produced many memorable moments for both teams and individuals alike. This series will focus on the individual members of the 2020-2021 Nichols Vikings.
Aaron Stein – G – Class of 2021
Aaron Stein came off of the bench for the 2019-2020 Vikings, posting 0.8 points per game, 0.6 rebounds per game, 0.3 steals per game, and 0.2 assists per game. Stein appeared in 16 games for a Vikings squad that struggled after the loss of their leading scorer to an ankle injury in January 2020. For Stein, there is reason to be optimistic that he will contribute much more to his team this season.
It is no secret that Stein is a three point specialist. He attempted nearly 4 threes to every two-pointer he took in 2019-2020. Stein finished the year at a respectable 33% from deep. He should continue to lean on the strongest facet of his game and attempt even more now than he did last year. Nichols could use the shooting- their 5th place Monsignor Martin League finish in total three pointers made placed them near the bottom of the conference in 2019-2020.
If he can shoot three pointers at near the same clip that he did in 2019-2020, the rest of his team should benefit from greater spacing due to defenses having to respect Stein’s range.
In terms of the other aspects of his game, Stein and the Vikings would benefit from him being more consistent overall. Stein is lanky and would be served to learn to use his body to more effectively in order to carve out space on both offense and defense. A naturally good leaper, Stein can be much more aggressive going for rebounds. On account of his marvelous mechanics from the stripe, he should focus on leaning into contact to earn himself more opportunities at the free throw line.
I imagine Stein will return to his bench role for the Vikings in 2020-2021. As I touched on before, the threat alone of his jumpshot should lead to more open opportunities for his teammates. Stein can make a much larger impact for Nichols than he did last season if he continues to work on his long range shooting, as well as generally focusing on improving other facets of his game. Coach Joe Mihalics would be thrilled to get the most out of Aaron Stein in 2020-2021.
**All Stats Come From Maxpreps.com. All Analysis Is My Own.