BEREA, OHIO -- Who is the leader of the Baldwin Wallace University men's basketball team this season?
Yellow Jacket second-year Head Coach Duane Sheldon is quick with his answer.
"Paul Glass is our team leader," says Sheldon prior to the Christmas Holiday and a December 27-28 tournament at Thomas More College in Crestview Hills, Kentucky.
"If I had to create the ideal BW basketball student-athlete," continues Sheldon, who's team plays Indiana University East on Dec. 27 at 5:00 p.m. and then plays the host school on the 28th at 7:00 p.m. (both games can be heard locally on campus radio station WBW, 88.3 FM, and on the Internet at www.wBW.com) "I mean someone who represents us well on and off the court. It would be easy. It's Paul Glass."
When you watch Glass play the game, it isn't pretty by any means. He flings himself all over the court with his 6'2", muscled frame. He dives to the left for a loose ball to give his team another possession. He makes a steal while guarding a player two or three inches taller and not as quick, and then leads the fast-break that ends in a layup for a teammate and an assist for an all-too-happy Glass. And, when the opposition calls timeout, he's quick to the bench so he can high-five each teammate both on and off the bench.
But it hasn't always been that easy for Glass, who missed most of his freshman and sophomore seasons in high school due to a disease called osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) and a resulting stress fracture of the fifth vertebra in his back. While at Medina H.S., Glass averaged 19.1 ppg. as a senior and was a first-team All-Pioneer Conference player and a Greater Cleveland Basketball Coaches Association All-Star and attracted attention from a number of schools.
"I wanted to play basketball in the Ohio Athletic Conference," said Glass, who is a pre-physical therapy major and carries a solid 3.2 grade average in the classroom. "BW's success and tradition really attracted my interest. Some other deciding factors was its close proximity to my hometown, the players I met with I felt I'd get along well with, there's a lot to do in the City of Berea and Greater Cleveland and BW has outstanding facilities."
"I am happy with my decision to come to BW because I have really enjoyed the basketball family I've become a part of and the freinds I've made," continued Glass, who plans to attend graduate school and graduating from BW this May.
"I also thought about Muskingum because my brother played there and it would have been nice to play with him for a few more years," said Glass, who ultimately chose BW and put a smile on Sheldon's face.
After nine games for the 4-5 overall Yellow Jackets, Glass is scoring a modest 6.6 points-per-game, grabbing 3.4 rebounds-per-game with 12 assists, nine steals and a blocked shot. In four seasons on the varsity, Glass has earned three varsity letters, scored 370 points, grabbed 182 rebounds, passed for 58 assists and made 36 steals prior to the IUE game on Dec. 27.
Glass, who is humble, gives all of his credit to others.
"I've had great coaches in BW Hall of Famer Steve Bankson and Sheldon as well as great teammates," said Glass. "My family has been the greatest influence on me. My parents have made it possible for me to be a student-athlete. They encourage me to work hard and they come to every game. It means a lot to me to have them at the games and to share in this experience."
Sheldon is quick to throw the praise back at Glass.
"Paul is a leader by example, and he plays as hard as any player I have ever coached," says Sheldon, who is a 1993 graduate of the college, played on a BW championship team and has built championship teams at both Midpark High School and OAC-rival Heidelberg College (now University) prior to coming back to BW. "He is a reliable teammate and is by far the most respected player on the team. He brings a level of toughness and intensity to this team without ever saying a word."
Glass' leadership not only takes place during games. According to Sheldon, some of his best leadership skills are on display at every practice.
"He is the ultimate teammate," said Sheldon. "He sacrifices his individual agendas for the team. Paul will do anything we ask of him at any time and without hesitation. It is hard to find players like that today."
"Paul sat out a few practices because he had some injuries that we want to heal," continued Sheldon, who was known to have the same qualities as Glass when he played for BW Hall of Fame Coach Steve Bankson. "Those were our worst practices of the season. We missed his leadership and intensity."
So, what does Glass says about all of this talk of leadership.
"My role on this team is to lead by-example," said a serious-faced Glass. "As a leader, I think it's important that I have a positive attitude and bring great effort during the long season. My individual goal is to improve every day. My team goals are to win the Ohio Athletic Conference regular season title, the OAC Tournament championship and make it to the NCAA Division III National Tournament."
Sounds like something a leader would say. Maybe a future coach too!
Following its game with Thomas More on Dec. 28, the Yellow Jackets return to action on Sunday, January 3, 2010 when they travel to Alma, Michigan to play Alma College of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association at 2:00 p.m. The first home game of the new year is on Wednesday, January 6 when BW hosts Mount Union College in an Ohio Athletic Conference game in the Ursprung Gymnasium inside the Lou Higgins Center in Berea at 7:30 p.m.
All Yellow Jacket men's and women's basketball games can be heard LIVE via the Internet at www.wBW.com. In addition, all away games are broadcast on campus radio station WBWC, 88.3 FM.
In addition, BW's Saturday, February 20 game against Otterbein College is both "Take a Kid to the Game" Day and will be televised by SportsTime Ohio (www.sportstime ohio.com). For more information regarding the "Take a Kid to the Game" promotion, please call Meg Carney in the Athletic Department at 440-826-2140 or e-mail her at mcarney@bw.edu.
FOR MORE BW Sports Information, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327 and e-mail at kruple@bw.edu or Assistant SID Nick Minerd by phone at 440-826-2780 and e-mail at nminerd@bw.edu. Fans can access the latest BW athletics information at www.bw.edu/athletics and we invite you to join us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/bwathletics.
