Meet Spencer Spivy

Spencer Spivy attends University. High, that is. He's not yet attending college but he will be and the school that signs him will be getting a 6-foot-5 2018 backcourter with extensive experience at the point and a mindset of making his teammates more effective.

But such wasn't always so. "In my freshman year, I played on the JV team as a point and an off-guard," Spivy recalled. "Now I’m still a scorer but more of a playmaker. Give the ball to me and I'll take care of it and create opportunities."

He continued, "In the eighth grade, I had a low release [on my shot] and got blocked a lot, so I changed my form. I was 5-foot-10 entering high school but I grew seven inches in the last two years."

Quick to give credit for his hoops advancement, Spivy gratefully offered, "my Dad has been a big influence because he got me started, and has always been right there for me. My middle school coach pushed me and the University coaching staff has been just as important. [University High Coach] Randy Bessolo saw potential in me that I didn't see in myself at the time."

Spivy sees a couple of elements as his top talents. "My shooting because I've worked on it a lot  and, outside of the fundamentals, my willingness to improve." Plus, "I try to be a smart player on the court." The effort behind his basketball IQ includes "watching the Warriors, the NBA and a lot of YouTube videos plus playing in open gyms." Leadership is another aspect. "I try to lead by example and set the tone for the team."

As for his best moments on the court, his answer was more generic than specific but still very telling. "It's being with my high school team in the summer playing four games in a day. I love the grind. Our team loves to work."

University is 19-2 overall thus far this season, 3-1 in the Bay Counties West League. The breakdown is 4-1 at home, 7-1 in away games plus 8-0 on neutral courts. The success of the team is predicated on pushing tempo, finding open shooters and shooting threes. Those ingredients have Spencer Spivy's name written all over them.