Student Athlete of the Week Sebastian Stenz

In an era where far too many players shoot first and think second, Sebastian Stenz's approach to basketball is a welcome throwback. The Niwot High School guard drives the court intending to find an open teammate, a selfless style that's yielding plenty of assists.

Through Niwot's first 10 games, Stenz recorded at least one dime in each and currently leads the Cougars with an average of 2.6 assists per contest. Stenz, a junior, said his pass-first mindset began to develop during his season-plus on junior varsity.

"I wasn't like a natural scorer, and I'm still not a natural scorer," Stenz said. "That's definitely where I impact the game on the offensive end, by passing the ball and hitting the open man. That's my stronger point."

Stenz was at his best on Dec. 19 when he dished out a career-high seven assists in Niwot's loss to Longmont High School.

Just the same, Stenz isn't so single-minded that he ignores open shots. His confidence grew considerably on Thursday, Jan. 11, when he scored 10 points, including two 3-pointers, against Frederick High School.

"I was just looking for my shot, being more aggressive on offense, and getting to the spots where I know I can shoot," Stenz said.

Stenz plans on staying a little more aggressive moving forward, especially when given space beyond the arc.

After starting the season 3-0, the Cougars have dropped their last seven games, including five against Class 5A/4A Longs Peak League opponents. Still, Stenz believes Niwot is headed in the right direction under first-year head coach Walker Bounds.

"I would love some more wins, but we're improving all the time, every single day," Stenz said. "Once we hit the halfway point, it's going to turn around. We're going to put up more of a fight against teams that beat us."

Moreover, Stenz acknowledged that despite the Cougars' 3-7 record, there has been no shortage of bright spots.

"We're such a good team off the court. We still need to build a little more chemistry on the court, learn more about each other, and get a little bit better in our spots that we're weaker at," Stenz said. "So far in the second part of the season, we're doing so much better. Our big men are putting up great numbers, guards are shooting good. I think we're already starting to turn it around and it's going to be a great (end to the) season."

Stenz and the Cougars will drive up to Fort Morgan High School on Thursday, Jan. 18 to challenge the winless Mustangs.