Trueheart doesn't mention Siena - seems off he is playing this good and minimal looks
Maybe it's the fact that he is now in his senior year and still looking for a college to make a strong push for him, or maybe it is the fact that for the first time he considers his team to be the underdog, but 6'7" forward Stafford Trueheart (Canisius '16) has been playing like a NYS Player of the Year candidate to start the 2015-2016 season.
M. Libert
Stafford Trueheart
Averaging 25 points and 10 rebounds through his team's first four games of the season, Trueheart has become much more aggressive in looking for his shot on the offensive end of the floor, and it's paying dividends as it's tough to call the Crusaders underdogs now, so long as Trueheart is leading the way.
After helping his team win the Class "A" CHSAA and Federation Championships last year, many expected Canisius to take a step back this season having lost 3 key starters to last year's squad, but those doubters are apart of what Trueheart says has made him and his team so strong in the early going this season.
"A lot of people ruled us out because we didn't have any big names," Trueheart said. "But we knew what we were capable of, and as a team we all wanted to prove something."
If proving something was the intention, consider it a success already as they have knocked off Aquinas, Bishop Kearney, and Williamsville South, three teams considered among the best in New York State this season, with Trueheart scoring 24, 25, and 28 points respectively in those 3 games.
He was always a solid scorer, averaging around 12-15 points per game, but he has grown as an offensive weapon in a major way this season, and he credits his increase in scoring to his growth as an all around player.
Creating his own shot off the dribble, and working a lot more in the high post has allowed Trueheart a lot more freedom to work from the outside more than he has in the past. He admits that he was primarily thought of as an interior scorer, scoring most of his points around the rim in the past, but he is far more comfortable doing work from anywhere on the floor now, and those results are showing.
While he has been showcasing a strong offensive game, to go along with his already solid rebounding and shotblocking skills that have always been there, Trueheart's recruitment still hasn't taken off the way he says he would've hoped.
He is getting more attention as of late, with Trueheart saying over the past couple of weeks he has heard from both Winthrop and George Mason, and with a major tournament for the Crusaders coming up next week, he believes there will be a few college coaches on hand to check him out.
"There really hasn't been a lot but we are going down to Washington D.C. next week to play in the National Christmas Jesuit Classic at Georgetown Prep so I am hoping some coaches will watch me there, and playing against that competition should help me a lot as well," Trueheart stated.
When he steps on the court, Trueheart says that he never tries to do more than he knows he should do, going out there each game with confidence that eventually he will be seen by someone who wants him to come aboard to their program.
For now though he is not focusing too much on the recruiting end of things, wanting to stay focused on the goal of helping Canisius get back to where they were last year, atop the mountain of New York State basketball, and the fact that people still consider him and his team underdogs is what is keeping Trueheart motivated to make sure that come the end of March, he is once again a champion.
"The seniors, we all want to go out as champions again, and with so many people saying we won't be able to do that, it's a major motivation. We are pounding the message to the guys who were not here last year on what is needed to get back to where we were, and with so many people saying we can't do it, it's even more motivation to get back and become champions once again." - See more at:
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