Gerber Is Wawasee's Defensive Remedy
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
SYRACUSE - Austin Kaiser is the team's leading scorer and three-point specialist. Kory Lantz is the emotional leader and the team's floor general. Ryan Kauchak is the top rebounder and the opposing team's biggest low-post headache.
Those three seniors have gotten a lot of publicity this year and deservedly so. But there are four seniors on this year's Wawasee boys basketball team.
So who is Austin Gerber?
Gerber, a 6-foot-3 guard, is the defensive stopper. His stats show up in the box score but not under his name. His work is shown in the anemic shooting percentages of who he guards.
Look at the first meeting between Wawasee and Plymouth earlier this year.
Gerber spent most of that night hounding Kyle Benge, the state's second leading scorer at 27.5 points per game.
Benge went 3 of 12 from the field in the first half and finished the triple-overtime contest with 23 points on 9 of 23 shooting.
The Pilgrims got the best of Wawasee that night with a 76-75 victory at the Hardwood Teepee at Wawasee High School.
Saturday, the two teams will battle once again at Huntington North High School for a spot in the 3A Boys Basketball State Finals. A 3 p.m. tipoff is tentatively scheduled.
And once again it'll be Gerber who's going to spend the afternoon being Benge's shadow.
Gerber plans on moving on to Indiana Wesleyan after high school, where he plans on a biology major in hopes of someday becoming a physical therapist.
The soft-spoken guard said he gained interest in the field after spending so much time in the offices of physical therapists with two sisters who played sports and a grandfather.
For now Gerber looks to dole out a cure for Benge and Plymouth's ability to get him open.
"They're a great team. We know they're going to go out and give everything they've got," said Gerber.
That's not going to stop Gerber from doing what's he been doing all season.
"I'd say one of my biggest roles is that of a defensive stopper and a leader along with the other seniors."
To guard Benge, he's going to have to go through a parade of Plymouth players.
"It takes great help from your team. I have to be focused on getting through the screens that Plymouth sets," said Gerber.
The Pilgrims under long-tenured head coach Jack Edison are known for setting screens that could be characterized as less than legal.
"No comment," deadpanned Gerber when asked about the legality of said screens.
He may want to consider a future in politics rather than medicine.
While the other seniors have gained a lot of respect from fans and opposing players and coaches, the seniors have just as much respect for Gerber.
"He steps his game up big time in big games," said Kaiser of Gerber. "He's shown he can guard anyone. I feel confident in what he can do. He's shown it guarding guys like (Adam) Arnold and (Jon) Workman."
Arnold is a 6-7 guard from Bellmont who's going to Indiana Sate and Workman is a 6-8 Iowa recruit from Lakeland.
"He gets overlooked way too much," said Lantz. "He tells me he doesn't care if he scores. He just wants to stop whoever he's guarding. He's got a lot of heart and that's what you need on a team."
"He brings senior leadership. He's intelligent in the classroom and carries it over to the court and really understands scouting reports," said Mishler.
Gerber also provides a 6.6 points per game average while shooting 50 percent from the field. He is third on the team in rebounds per game (3.9) and along with Kauchak and junior Michael Conrad has started all 26 games this year.
Gerber has been the most reliable thing going for Wawasee this year. It started in the preseason while most of his teammates were still battling for a state football crown. Gerber and Kaiser were the only two that Mishler had for workouts and conditioning. When Kaiser missed some time while recovering from soccer injuries, it left just Gerber.
"It was difficult at times going to conditioning and preseason workouts without everyone else," said Gerber.
Despite a lack of early team camaraderie, the football team's success could do nothing but help.
"I knew it would help us. I was just really excited for the football players," said Gerber.
Thanks in part to Gerber's defense, now the excitement of Warrior Nation has turned to the hardwood.
Note - More Wawasee coverage is coming in Friday's and Saturday's editions. [[In-content Ad]]
SYRACUSE - Austin Kaiser is the team's leading scorer and three-point specialist. Kory Lantz is the emotional leader and the team's floor general. Ryan Kauchak is the top rebounder and the opposing team's biggest low-post headache.
Those three seniors have gotten a lot of publicity this year and deservedly so. But there are four seniors on this year's Wawasee boys basketball team.
So who is Austin Gerber?
Gerber, a 6-foot-3 guard, is the defensive stopper. His stats show up in the box score but not under his name. His work is shown in the anemic shooting percentages of who he guards.
Look at the first meeting between Wawasee and Plymouth earlier this year.
Gerber spent most of that night hounding Kyle Benge, the state's second leading scorer at 27.5 points per game.
Benge went 3 of 12 from the field in the first half and finished the triple-overtime contest with 23 points on 9 of 23 shooting.
The Pilgrims got the best of Wawasee that night with a 76-75 victory at the Hardwood Teepee at Wawasee High School.
Saturday, the two teams will battle once again at Huntington North High School for a spot in the 3A Boys Basketball State Finals. A 3 p.m. tipoff is tentatively scheduled.
And once again it'll be Gerber who's going to spend the afternoon being Benge's shadow.
Gerber plans on moving on to Indiana Wesleyan after high school, where he plans on a biology major in hopes of someday becoming a physical therapist.
The soft-spoken guard said he gained interest in the field after spending so much time in the offices of physical therapists with two sisters who played sports and a grandfather.
For now Gerber looks to dole out a cure for Benge and Plymouth's ability to get him open.
"They're a great team. We know they're going to go out and give everything they've got," said Gerber.
That's not going to stop Gerber from doing what's he been doing all season.
"I'd say one of my biggest roles is that of a defensive stopper and a leader along with the other seniors."
To guard Benge, he's going to have to go through a parade of Plymouth players.
"It takes great help from your team. I have to be focused on getting through the screens that Plymouth sets," said Gerber.
The Pilgrims under long-tenured head coach Jack Edison are known for setting screens that could be characterized as less than legal.
"No comment," deadpanned Gerber when asked about the legality of said screens.
He may want to consider a future in politics rather than medicine.
While the other seniors have gained a lot of respect from fans and opposing players and coaches, the seniors have just as much respect for Gerber.
"He steps his game up big time in big games," said Kaiser of Gerber. "He's shown he can guard anyone. I feel confident in what he can do. He's shown it guarding guys like (Adam) Arnold and (Jon) Workman."
Arnold is a 6-7 guard from Bellmont who's going to Indiana Sate and Workman is a 6-8 Iowa recruit from Lakeland.
"He gets overlooked way too much," said Lantz. "He tells me he doesn't care if he scores. He just wants to stop whoever he's guarding. He's got a lot of heart and that's what you need on a team."
"He brings senior leadership. He's intelligent in the classroom and carries it over to the court and really understands scouting reports," said Mishler.
Gerber also provides a 6.6 points per game average while shooting 50 percent from the field. He is third on the team in rebounds per game (3.9) and along with Kauchak and junior Michael Conrad has started all 26 games this year.
Gerber has been the most reliable thing going for Wawasee this year. It started in the preseason while most of his teammates were still battling for a state football crown. Gerber and Kaiser were the only two that Mishler had for workouts and conditioning. When Kaiser missed some time while recovering from soccer injuries, it left just Gerber.
"It was difficult at times going to conditioning and preseason workouts without everyone else," said Gerber.
Despite a lack of early team camaraderie, the football team's success could do nothing but help.
"I knew it would help us. I was just really excited for the football players," said Gerber.
Thanks in part to Gerber's defense, now the excitement of Warrior Nation has turned to the hardwood.
Note - More Wawasee coverage is coming in Friday's and Saturday's editions. [[In-content Ad]]