Name: Evan Blankenship

School: Batavia, senior

Sport: Boys basketball

What he did: Blankenship led the Bulldogs to a 3-0 record on the week, which included putting up 23 points and 11 rebounds in a victory over Geneva.

Blankenship was selected as the Athlete of the Week based on an online vote.

Here is his Q&A with sports reporter Joel Boenitz.

How do you feel you performed last week?

Blankenship: I feel like I did great. My teammates were just getting me the ball and I was scoring.

You put up a double-double to lead the Bulldogs to the big win against Geneva. What was the feeling of putting that sort of performance up?

Blankenship: I felt like I could perform great with the energy coming from the crowd and from all my teammates just hyping me up, and it felt awesome.

You came off of the bench in the first matchup earlier in the season. What was your mindset since you started this time?

Blankenship: I honestly just tried to stay the same, but just add a little bit more energy to have that next step in actually winning this time.

After losing in double OT to Geneva earlier in the season, what was the feeling of pulling it out?

Blankenship: It was really nice, especially with the big crowd there to support us. And I felt like we needed that win because we want to win that DuKane Conference championship.

You started conference play 1-3 and now sit a game behind in the conference standings. Did you think that would be the case?

Blankenship: I don’t think we did, but we just kept working and never looked back. Once we started winning, we kept it rolling.

The team has gone 13-1 since the turn of the new year. What’s been the key to the team’s success?

Blankenship: The key has definitely been coach Jim Nazos. He’s just been the centerpiece of this team. And then also (senior) Xavier Justice, who leads us on the court. Both of them keep us composed and help us stay focused.

You started the season coming off the bench and now are starting. What’s changed?

Blankenship: I’ve kept my playstyle the same, except I’ve added another level to my defense so I’m not liability on that end of the floor.

With three games left before the postseason, what’s your mentality?

Blankenship: We have that next game mentality. So we’re not we’re not worried about anything beyond there. We’re just worried about what’s right in front of us.

Any superstitions?

Blankenship: I have to take a shower before each game. Temperature wise, it’s right in the middle.

Go-to pre-game meal?

Blankenship: It actually switches up a lot, but I like to go with milk, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and two string cheeses.

Did you watch the Super Bowl? Who were you rooting for?

Blankenship: If I had to pick a team it would have been the Seahawks. But I didn’t pay attention to it all that much because it wasn’t that good of a game.