Colorado Springs – Garrett Fiddler is not your typical high school basketball player.
And that’s too bad.
At a time when kids watch too much bad basketball on television, then try to emulate it; have more tattoos than members of the Yakuza; chest-thump as though they discovered the cure for cancer; draw louder cheers from schoolmates on show-off crossover dribbles than when scoring or making a pass for a scoring play; and are more concerned with how long their shorts are as opposed to their shots, the quiet, workmanlike Fiddler stands out like a pair of vintage Chuck Taylors.
He’s not an easy young man to miss. He stands 6-feet-9, weighs 220 pounds, ranks second academically by a percentage point of 430 students in the senior class at Doherty, is among the Colorado leaders in scoring (16.4 points per game), and stands alone as the inside presence who best combines rebounding and shot-blocking.
“He’s a great kid, the real deal,” veteran Spartans coach Dan McKiernan said.
It gets better. Last weekend, when the Spartans avenged a 6-day-old loss in overtime to rival Palmer, one in which Doherty regained control of the Class 5A Colorado Springs Metro League, it was noted he had only 10 points in a 72-66 victory.
Never mind he had four rebounds, two blocked shots and discouraged a couple of others over the game’s stretch run, when the Spartans needed him to seal it.
“Offense isn’t the only place where I have fun with the game,” Fiddler said.
Besides, he added, his 29 points in a loss to talented Palmer were meaningless; his 10 in a victory over the Terrors were simply part of taking Doherty, the preseason No. 1 in The Denver Post/9News 5A poll, a step closer toward one of the postseason’s top four seeds. His presence is invaluable.
“He’s All-Colorado,” ThunderRidge coach Joe Ortiz said.
Believe it or not, Fiddler is a player who doesn’t sulk, cause a scene or call his lawyer when the ball isn’t fed to him. He has gone double-figure possessions in succession without a pass his way. No problem. He doesn’t plan on a standard amount of touches after he jumps for the opening tipoff and can increase his chances for possessing the ball with a rebound, rejecting a shot or causing a turnover.
Selfishness isn’t part of his game, although appreciating the talent of others is.
“It’s a team game,” Fiddler said. “It’s part of a couple of things. One, because I’m in the post, I have to depend on guys to get me the ball. The other part was growing up with my dad teaching me basketball. … He has always told me defense is important.”
So are other aspects for a high school senior. With a 4.7 grade-point average – his mother taught him, his older brother and his younger sister to read before entering first grade – Garrett has made it crystal clear he wants a chance at a big-time education. On his recruiting trip to Yale, sure, he visited the Bulldogs’ home court in the Ivy League, but was more fascinated with the library, where he was wowed by something like 12 million volumes, including rare books such as an original Gutenberg Bible.
It didn’t take him long to choose.
“I was really impressed,” Fiddler said. “It’s an example of all the stuff they have and shows how much money and importance is given to academics.”
The aspiring writer and English professor, whose family doesn’t have cable television at home, enjoys student-athlete life as an 18-year-old with a future bright enough to require sunglasses with UV protection.
He would revel in more company, particularly in the classroom.
“I think I would like to see our educational system improve with other people getting opportunities I’ve gotten, for instance,” Fiddler said. “It’s sad to see the general intelligence of society … If it’s not sinking, it’s not growing.”
The native of Iowa City, Iowa, who played his first two prep seasons in Oregon, has yet to witness legitimate reasons for teenagers not to help themselves.
“By the time you get to high school, most teachers, if you want to learn, they’ll give you extra to do,” Fiddler said. “It’s amazing to see people dropping out. A free education is handed to them, and they won’t take it.”
Fiddler hopes to take the Spartans (15-2 and ranked No. 3) to the Coors Events Center and their first boys basketball championship next month. He’s moving better and trying to loosen the stiffness to his offensive game, a work in progress that may lead to Yale minutes at power forward or the pivot.
And he’s realistic.
“I don’t think basketball is what I want to do with my life,” he said. “Obviously, I enjoy it, maybe play pro in Europe, but you never know.”
Typical response from an atypical kid.
On tap
Denver Post staff writer Neil H. Devlin looks at the week ahead in high school sports:
BASKETBALL
CLASS 5A-4A BOYS
Thunderdome can still rock for DPL
There’s life in the Thunderdome, even if Manual has no students. Denver Prep League play is providing the most traffic at the school on hiatus with a series of the bigger city matchups that have kept with recent tradition and been contested in the facility at 28th Avenue and Franklin Street. On Saturday at 2:30 p.m., top-ranked East will square off against George Washington, a meeting that usually figures heavily in deciding the DPL title.
CLASS 5A-3A GIRLS
Up Front in 5A
Thornton will be the place for this evening’s 7 o’clock 5A Front Range tilt between Rocky Mountain and Horizon (led by Hannah Tuomi). Important 3A Metropolitan matters will include Faith Christian at Colorado Academy at 7 p.m., on Friday, and East vs. George Washington in city play at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the Thunderdome.
BOULDER BOYS
A Panthers disco?
In the 1976-77 season, all-state guard Mike Gallagher and junior center Jack Magno led the Panthers to Colorado’s big-school title. The 30th anniversary will be commemorated Friday at 7 p.m., when this season’s Boulder team hosts Eaglecrest in the Centennial League. A reunion will include introducing members at halftime at The Pit. Three decades ago, in addition to two thrilling victories, including one in double overtime, against rival Fairview (led by all-staters Tom Chambers and Jim Feeney) that packed the University of Colorado’s Balch Fieldhouse, it was the time of disco, so music and dress from 1977 are being encouraged for Friday’s tip-off. Bad bodyshirts and high-heeled shoes (for boys) apparently are welcome.
WRESTLING, SWIMMING
REGULAR SEASONS TO END
All about tapering
Wrestlers are entering their final weekend before the postseason, and girls swimmers are not far from league meets. A lighter schedule through Saturday will give wrestlers opportunities to heal up for the regional meets, to be completed by Feb. 10, where a top-four finish provides entry into the state meet, Feb. 15-17 at the Pepsi Center. It’s Colorado’s annual top prep spectacle. Swimmers also will be tapering off into the weekend, with most league meets Feb. 9-10, then getting ready for the state meet Feb. 15-17 in Fort Collins.
FOOTBALL
NATIONAL SIGNING DAY
Autograph, please
In-state schoolboys and schoolgirls can play John Hancock on Wednesday. Wednesday’s participants probably will have their biggest day with pen and paper since the first time they wrote their names. Highlighted by football, Coloradans in 21 sports are set to sign on dotted lines. Included will be Mullen wide receiver-returner Devin Aguilar (headed to Washington) and Columbine lineman Ryan Miller, the recently named Parade All-American who will seal his deal with CU. His signing is considered a local benchmark for plying players in the new backyard of coach Dan Hawkins, who is preparing for his second season with the Buffaloes.
Staff writer Neil H. Devlin can be reached at 303-954-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com.
