BEREA, OHIO -- Former Lutheran West High graduate and standout Scott Voiers embodies the old adage of it's not the dog in the fight, it's the fight in the dog. And the Baldwin Wallace University sophomore is proving he has plenty of fight.
Recently at practice, Voiers was injured when he fell on his tailbone. It caused him to miss a pair of games. It also caused him to think.
"It really made me think how lucky I am to play the game of basketball at the high school level and now collegiately," said Voiers, who is scoring 6.0 points and grabbing 1.7 rebounds a game for the 10-7 Yellow Jackets. "You really miss it when you can't play it."
So, as soon as the doctor's cleared Voiers to play, he was back out on the court running, jumping, hustling, diving and scoring 10 points in six minutes of action against Ohio Northern University on January 13. But even in those six minutes, you could see the grimace on his face when he dove for a loose ball and when he saved another with a leap and pass that took him out-of-bounds.
"Scott plays very hard," said second-year BW Head Coach Duane Sheldon, who prepped at Strongsville, played collegiately at BW, coached at the high school level at Midpark and also collegiately at OAC-rival Heidelberg University. And Sheldon would know. When he played at BW, he was known for his hustle, defense and intensity.
"Scott is strong and quick and a good athlete," said Sheldon. "He definitely has the scorer mentality, and he's a good rebounder too.
"Scotty comes from a basketball family," continued Sheldon. "He knows how to play the game. He knows how important it is to hustle and make the big plays. Our key now is to get him to play at a high level every night. The first few weeks were a struggle, but we're pleased with his progress and know consistency is the key."
When Voiers left Lutheran West for college, he thought he'd have the opportunity to make an impact at The College of Wooster. But after one season at Wooster, he yearned for home in Cleveland and a place closer to home. So, now it's happening at local BW, and no one is happier about it than Voiers.
"I have no ill feelings about Wooster nor do I regret the decision to originally go there," said Voiers, a 6'3" shooting guard who also has 15 assists, 10 three-pointers and five steals in 13.2 minutes per contest. "It just didn't work out.
"I really like it here at BW," continued Voiers. "It was a good move for me. I like the people and teammates who I have met and everyone gets along well, the pre-med program is challenging and there is just a lot more to do in Berea and Greater Cleveland. Plus, it's much closer for my parents and friends to come watch me play.
"In addition, Coach Sheldon likes to run an up-tempo style and I certainly like that style of play too," said Voiers. "I am hoping to just keep working hard, hustle and try to help the team every time I step on the floor."
"We rececruited him hard out of high school," said Sheldon, who also knew Voiers grandfather, the legendary Rich Voiers of Bay High School. "A friend of his grandfather called me and said Scott was going to get a self release from Wooster and would I like to talk with him. I said sure. As soon as he gets the release, have Scott call me." The rest is "water under the bridge" according to Voiers.
"The past few weeks, I am getting the feel for what the coaches would like me to accomplish when I'm on the court," said Voiers. "I can better understand the pace of the game. "I'm starting to get it."
While at Lutheran West, shooting definitely was Voiers' forte. The two-time All-Ohio selection, who was twice All-District and the Patriot Athletic Conference Most Valuable Player as a senior, averaged 25.2 ppg. as a senior with a career-high of 39 points against Oberlin H.S. As a junior, he averaged 18 ppg. and scored 34 in a regional semifinal game. In the classroom, he also was an Honor and Merit Roll student.
"This is a good fit for Scott," said Sheldon. "He's a good kid who has the talent and ability to be a really good student and basketball player. We are glad to have him at BW."
The Yellow Jackets are back in action this Wednesday, January 27 at Cleveland cross-town rival John Carroll University at 7:00 p.m. in University heights. BW is then home twice versus Marietta College on Saturday, January 30 and Heidelberg University on Wednesday, February 3 at 7:30 p.m.
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.
