Kane County Chronicle Athlete of the Week: Evan Stumm, Marmion, basketball, senior

Name: Evan Stumm

School: Marmion

Sport: Basketball, senior

Why he was selected: Stumm had 25 points and three steals in a win over Marian Central on Nov. 28. Stumm was chosen the Athlete of the Week by voters. Chronicle sports reporter Jacob Bartelson caught up with him to discuss his season and more.

Bartelson: Clearly, you’re off to a strong start to the season on the floor. What’s been key to your success so far?

Stumm: I think Coach [Joe] Piekarz has done a great job of preparing us for games and finding the right players to put on the floor at the right time to especially take advantage of our depth. Our main key has been to work as a team. We don’t have many guys who can play one on one, so we have to stick to our principles and play team basketball to get the job done each night.

Bartelson: For those who haven’t seen you play yet, what’s your elevator pitch of your game?

Stumm: To keep it simple: I am a shooter and a playmaker, but not without my teammates. They are constantly setting me up for success and finding me when I’m open. The game opens up a lot for me because of the team we have. We’re not very big and we’re certainly not flashy, but we have a lot of heart. Each one of us knows our designated role on the team and we all mesh well together. We constantly play unselfish basketball and are always giving up a good shot for a great one.

Bartelson: So much of last season’s roster for the supersectional is graduated, but how did that experience help you specifically for an expanded role this year?

Stumm: With all five of our starters being seniors last year, I knew my time would come. Playing my role as the sixth man, I got to observe a lot of talented players in Collin [Wainscott], Jabe [Haith] and Trevon [Roots]. The three of them helped me find confidence in my game last year and I can do nothing but thank them for setting me up to lead this year’s team.