TEUTOPOLIS — Scorers graduated, so Teutopolis senior guard Garrett Gaddis knew he had to take matters into his own hands.
Gaddis finished his senior season averaging 13.7 points per game on 43.7 percent shooting from the floor and 34.4 percent shooting from 3-point range.
“It was really cool to watch,” head coach Chet Reeder said. “Sophomore and junior year, he was really just a role player and he filled that role very well. He understood where to get to. Garrett and I sat down a lot going into this year. (I said) ‘Everybody knows who you are now. You’re going to have to be creative on how you get your shots and how to get scoring.’ We had to get scoring out of him.”
The second of two Effingham Daily News Boys Basketball Players of the Year, Gaddis did just that and, in doing so, helped lead his team to a regional and sectional championship and nearly a second-straight berth in the state tournament.
Gaddis wasn’t the type of player who needed the ball constantly, either.
Reeder said how he fed off his teammates made him a mismatch nightmare nearly every game.
“He fed off his teammates and I think that’s what made it hard for teams to guard him. He used his teammates well,” Reeder said. “He was one of our best screeners. He understood teams aren’t helping off of me, so if I can be a really good screener, I’m either going to get somebody else open, or if they help, I’m going to be open.”
“He’s got an incredible motor,” Reeder added. “If you watched him, he was constantly moving any time he got rid of the ball. He was a great cutter. He moved off other guys’ drives. A lot of teams went ‘no help’ on him and tried not to let him catch the ball. That was hard to do because he’s constantly moving.”
While fantastic on the offensive end, Gaddis was just as dynamic of a defender.
Gaddis finished with 42 steals and had 55 deflections.
He was always around the basketball.
“He’s really good on that end,” Reeder said. “He can guard the other team’s point guard; he can guard the other team’s four. He’s a strong kid. He understands angles and beating guys’ spots. He’s so good at pressuring the ball and just making things hard. He rarely got himself out of position.”
Gaddis answered a series of questions, which Daily News Sports Editor Alex Wallner asked.
Below are his responses.
Q: Describe your progression as a basketball player. Where did you improve the most?
A: From my freshman to senior year, I would say my confidence improved the most. I always had classes above me with great talent; however, when they were gone my senior year, I knew someone had to step up. After putting in hours of work to get better, I knew I was more than capable of succeeding on the court.
Q: Are there any influential people who have helped you become the player you are? If so, why?
A: My dad was the most influential person in my basketball career. No matter what, he always pushed me to get better. From coaching me in my younger years, rebounding for me and giving me advice, he always made sure I was getting better. My mom was also a big influence because she would always drop what she was doing to rebound for me when I wanted to shoot. Coach (Doug) Smith, my seventh-grade coach, also helped me out a lot throughout my career. He would always give me advice on what I was doing wrong to help me succeed. Also, every other coach throughout my career always believed in me and provided me with assets that allowed me to succeed on and off the court.
Q: What did you love the most about this team this year? How were you able to come together and have another fantastic year despite all of the pieces you lost from the 2023 team?
A: Going into this year, our team knew what people were saying about us. We knew that we were losing key players from last year’s team. I think that made our team as a whole come together and understand we all need to do our part on this team to make it work. Coach talked about playing your role a lot this year. Every person on the team bought into that, which is why we were able to have as much success as we did.
Q: Coming into the season, what did you learn about yourself, knowing you would have to step into that main scoring role?
A: It was obvious our team was going to need people who could score the ball. I knew I was very capable of taking on this role because of the time I put in working on my individual game, but I also knew it takes a whole team to win games. Yes, everyone had their moments of success this year, but without the team doing their part, we would not have had nearly as much success.
Q: You end your career on the court with multiple regional and sectional titles and one super-sectional and state trophy. How would you sum up your career in a Wooden Shoe jersey?
A: Successful. I would say my time in a T-Town jersey was very successful on and off the court. Yes, my success on the court was amazing, but when you have younger kids come up and congratulate you, it means a lot. Also, having people say they love my hustle on the court and how I play is a great feeling, considering that is how I would have liked to be described as a basketball player.