PALATINE, Ill. – There were games that Garett Gatz (Elk Grove Village, Ill., Conant) couldn't stand to be at. After rupturing a ligament in his ankle in the fifth game of the 2011-12 season and deciding to redshirt, the place that had been a sanctuary for his entire life became somewhere that he tried to avoid. There were instances during Harper's 10-21 season that Gatz would text head coach Anthony Amarino and tell him he couldn't go.
“It was really hard for me,” Gatz said. “I'd get into the gym and I love the smell, I love the environment. But it got at me deep down in my stomach where I just couldn't take it anymore.”
Fast-forward one year and the vibe is completely different. A healthy Gatz has shown just how important he is to Harper's success. After last Tuesday's 27-point performance against Olivet Nazarene, Gatz led the Hawks in scoring at 15.8 points per game. His performance makes him our choice as Harper College's 11th Athlete of the Week of the 2012-13 school year. And for Amarino, his presence has made a big difference.
“It's his third year here,” Amarino said. “He knows the system front and back. He knows everything that we do. He's a good leader out there. He has to be if not the best 3-pointer in the region, than in the top three.”
As a freshman, Gatz was the team's second leading scorer behind All-America honorable mention Wes Wilcox, averaging 13 points per game. The team had high hopes for his sophomore season but they were dashed by injuries.
Behind the arc is where Gatz makes his living as the redshirt sophomore knocked down 23 3-pointers through the first eight games of the season. And with opponents starting to take notice, Gatz has extended his range even further.
In the win over Olivet Nazarene, Gatz had already knocked down four 3-pointers when he put his long-distance marksmanship on display. Ahead 64-62, Gatz drilled a deep 3 with 1:01 left. After the Tigers quickly answered to cut the lead to 67-64, Gatz knocked down a 3-pointer with 26 seconds left, appearing to be closer to half court than he was to the 3-point line.
“Because of his range, he's standing on the floor where they won't guard him because they don't think he'll shoot it from there,” Amarino said. “And he'll shoot it three feet, four feet past the arc at times.”
Harper's (4-6) strengths are on the perimeter. With Connor Miklasz (Hersey), Tyler Gaedele (Rolling Medows ) and John Lorenz (Elk Grove) able to knock down shots and Michael Rose (Rolling Medows) also extending his game to the outside, defenses focus much of their attention outside of the lane. With such capable shooters, it's extremely rare for the Hawks to see a zone defense, meaning Gatz has a defender attached to his hip, ready to follow him wherever he goes.
The work that Gatz put in this summer is paying off. He hurt his shoulder in a summer league game and as a result, started training with teammate Christian Sotos (Conant). Four or fives days per week for the entire summer, Gatz and Sotos used the same trainer and pushed each other to the point that Gatz would be on the brink of throwing up. But a by-product of such hard work is that Gatz increased his strength, stamina and vertical leap.
“He's in tip-top shape and could run forever,” Amarino said. “And that's the key. When you're going to be chased like that, you have to have that stamina. He's going to have to move around a lot and come off a lot of screens, and if your legs aren't in there, then you're not going to shoot well. He has a quick release.”
After an All-Conference senior season at Conant High School in which he also was a top player on the football team, Gatz had offers to play at Division III schools such as St. Norbert's and Benedictine. But the opportunity to play close to home at an affordable school with a coach that he liked was too much to pass up. Next season, Gatz will have a chance to play at the next level. He just doesn't know where yet.
“I'm just going to keep playing and doing my thing, whatever is best for the team,” Gatz said. “We're trying to get wins. If (scouts) come, they come. But if not, it wasn't meant to be. I think I have a chance to play somewhere.”
And while Gatz is looking forward to the future, the time at Harper has been a chapter of Gatz's life that he'll never forget.
“I love it,” Gatz said. “I love the people here. I love the teachers, the coaches, the training staff. Everyone that does all this work for us, like (public address announcer) Lou (Nunez) and everyone else. It's been a great experience. I wouldn't change it for anything. I'm going to miss it. When I leave, I'm going to come back. It's just a place that I love to be.”
