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A potent and necessary ingredient to any championship caliber team is having leadership. Whether it comes from one player or radiates from the entire bench, it’s a motivating element that inspires a team when it needs it the most.
With an array of factors that make up this year’s Ripley Viking cagers, they certainly have that element that brings everything together in guard Noah Fischer.
One of three seniors of the 2008-2009 edition of Viking basketball, Fischer knows players will look to him when they need that on-court management.
“There’s a little bit of pressure there being a team leader,” Fischer commented. “But I know it’s now my role to set a good example. It’s a responsibility I’m always trying to improve on.”
To be leader you must will your team to play better simply by motivating them vocally or by your play on the court. Sometimes that may even mean putting the game on your own shoulders.
Fischer anticipates that as the season progresses, he will be called on to win a game, and it’s a reality he’s prepared himself for.
“I worked out all summer to get ready for the season,” Fischer said of his routine. “I come in on Sundays and shoot 500 shots and make sure I make 100 every day before I go to bed.
“I’m fortunate that this team is full of playmakers, so it eases my mind that I don’t always have to be the go-to guy,” he continued. “But I want to be ready for when that time comes.”
With the three-point dagger as his forte, Fischer will certainly earn his fair share of treys this season, but he anticipates his abilities will need to progress even further, especially to thrive at the next level, so much so that it’s become a personal goal for him this season.
“Coach Harmon has done such a good job in advancing my game,” he said. “I developed a better ability to take people off the dribble so I can create better shots. That’s something I wanted to improve before I reach Bucknell.”
By next fall Fischer will be suiting up for head coach Dave Paulson’s Bisons after committing to the Pennsylvania university before the season started even with interest from Davidson, Marshall, Ohio University, St. Francis (PA), Moorehead St., Yale, Penn St., and Vanderbilt.
A potent and necessary ingredient to any championship caliber team is having leadership. Whether it comes from one player or radiates from the entire bench, it’s a motivating element that inspires a team when it needs it the most.
With an array of factors that make up this year’s Ripley Viking cagers, they certainly have that element that brings everything together in guard Noah Fischer.
One of three seniors of the 2008-2009 edition of Viking basketball, Fischer knows players will look to him when they need that on-court management.
“There’s a little bit of pressure there being a team leader,” Fischer commented. “But I know it’s now my role to set a good example. It’s a responsibility I’m always trying to improve on.”
To be leader you must will your team to play better simply by motivating them vocally or by your play on the court. Sometimes that may even mean putting the game on your own shoulders.
Fischer anticipates that as the season progresses, he will be called on to win a game, and it’s a reality he’s prepared himself for.
“I worked out all summer to get ready for the season,” Fischer said of his routine. “I come in on Sundays and shoot 500 shots and make sure I make 100 every day before I go to bed.
“I’m fortunate that this team is full of playmakers, so it eases my mind that I don’t always have to be the go-to guy,” he continued. “But I want to be ready for when that time comes.”
With the three-point dagger as his forte, Fischer will certainly earn his fair share of treys this season, but he anticipates his abilities will need to progress even further, especially to thrive at the next level, so much so that it’s become a personal goal for him this season.
“Coach Harmon has done such a good job in advancing my game,” he said. “I developed a better ability to take people off the dribble so I can create better shots. That’s something I wanted to improve before I reach Bucknell.”
By next fall Fischer will be suiting up for head coach Dave Paulson’s Bisons after committing to the Pennsylvania university before the season started even with interest from Davidson, Marshall, Ohio University, St. Francis (PA), Moorehead St., Yale, Penn St., and Vanderbilt.
However, for this year and this last go round, Fischer would like nothing more than to see his team reach the state tournament and make a strong showing in Dayton. He feels confident that this squad can do just that.
“You will never see a boring game from us,” he said of Ripley’s fast-paced offense. “Every time we go out, it will be entertaining. We’ll make a lot of good plays and score a lot of points. We’ll always be in the game until the end.”
Confidence, work ethic, and pure skill are three ingredients any coach would be blessed to have in a player. It’s what makes a leader and a champion. Fischer has already molded himself into the leader. By season’s end, he will be fighting to become a champion.
