Perkins wins GLIAC Commissioner's Award

GLIAC Commissioner's Award release

By LINDA BOUVET, LSSU Sports Information Director

From his rookie year through his final season, the tale of Scott Perkins’ career has taken enough twists and turns, and included ups and downs to fill a week-long mini-series. Perkins, a senior guard on the Lake Superior State men’s basketball team, has always found the silver lining during the tough times and helped make the last four years one of the most-memorable eras in the men’s basketball program’s 63-year history.

“I hope our team’s legacy is one of turning a struggling program around, having one of the best teams to ever come through Lake State, and showing what a team really is – the camaraderie, building chemistry and having fun,” said a soft-spoken Perkins, who will leave LSSU with 1,282 career points and a No. 7 ranking on the Lakers’ career list for three-point field goals. “You play basketball to have fun. If it’s not fun, then you’re in it for the wrong reasons.”

Perkins, who started nearly 26 games during each of his four seasons, came to LSSU as a capable scorer and on-court leader. The intangible qualities he brought to the team were his ability to lead, even as an underclassman, and the caring attitude he showed toward his teammates. His qualities and accomplishments have been recognized throughout the 2009-10 season, starting with making the semifinal cut for the John Wooden Citizens Cup and earning All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference First Team and NABC Midwest Region Second Team honors.

This week, Perkins was one of 10 GLIAC winter sport athletes to receive the 2010 Commissioner’s Award.

Coach Steve Hettinga took over the LSSU men’s basketball program prior to Perkins’ sophomore season. He credits Perkins for helping him convert a wayward group of athletes into a tight-knit family.

“His leadership role has changed dramatically,” said Hettinga at the beginning of the Lakers’ 2009-10 season. “Now he’s the guy that everyone looks up to. In one-on-one meetings with players, he’s the one guy everyone lists as the best leader, having the best attitude and the best work ethic. He’s earned every bit of those accolades from our team. Last year, some guys might have looked up to other players because they may have scored more points. He’s the rock on our team now. He has been the last few years, but it stands out more now.”

“My freshman year I was trying to find my place, adjust to a new school, new coach, new team, and find where I fit in,” Perkins recalled. “It was kind of a transition year. We were on our way to better things, and we all kind of realized that. Sometimes it’s hard for me to distinguish between teams, because I’ve been with so many good people for all four years.

“My sophomore year it was Coach Hettinga coming in, another new assistant coach and obviously new players. There was more transition, guys maturing, juniors and underclassmen in significant playing roles. During my junior year, we came into our own (finishing 22-9, winning the GLIAC North Division title and earning an NCAA Tournament bid). It put us on the map and solidified our place as a great team in the conference. This year, there was a lot of adjusting to losing five seniors who all played significant roles. We all had to step up, including a freshman and a transfer. It didn’t take very long to find chemistry…A lot of guys didn’t have a lot of game-time experience because of the seniors who came before us. We all had to adjust quickly. We exceeded people’s expectations, won a lot of games and had fun doing it.”

Perkins overcame two injuries to average 17.8 points per game and rank fifth in the GLIAC in scoring. LSSU, which finished 2009-10 with a 14-14 record, lost in overtime at Hillsdale when Perkins suffered his ankle injury and lost by 11 at Wayne State when he broke his nose.

“I’d like to think I’d have an affect at the end of the game,” Perkins said. “Some games are like that. I was fortunate to stay pretty-much injury free. I only missed one game my whole career. I was sick during that Ashland game, but we ended up winning. I’m pretty lucky to start over 100 games for us.”

Perkins’ shared the experiences of the past four years with senior point guard Garrett Konuszewski, who fought through more than his share of injuries to lead the GLIAC in assist/turnover ratio as a junior and finish sixth in career assists for LSSU, senior forward Jeremy Beasley, and juniors Nathan Householder and Matt Romatz.

“I really respect what he does playing point guard,” Perkins said of Konuszewski. “He has the toughest job in basketball, bringing the ball up the court, running the offense. It really wears you down after awhile. Garrett had a bunch of injuries…He fought through all the things that went wrong. A lot of guys would have to take a few games off or skip a few practices. He knew it was important for the team to have him out there.”

“I came in as a little kid,” Konuszewski said. “I was a pretty big role player at high school and came in thinking I would get a few minutes here and there. They ended up needing me to step in and play, and I played 40 minutes a game sometimes. Obviously I was a little shaky in some big games. Over the years, all that had gone away, and I never got nervous or frustrated.”

Konuszewski, who played portions of the 2009-10 season with a Grade 3 shoulder separation, describes Perkins as the team’s “Dad” and someone who’s always looking to get the best out of his teammates. Their bond was natural because of the playing time they both received as freshmen and their tendency to “go with the flow.”

“Scott, me, Romatz and Nate all came in together,” Konuszewski said. “Scott and I were leaders because we had more playing time, but I’d say we were a more family-oriented team than any other team in the GLIAC. I’ve talked to other teams, other players. They say they hang out with one or two guys. Our team hangs out all the time. We joke around. But when practice comes, it gets serious. That makes a great team.”

Perkins can’t reconstruct the outcomes of games, but he remembers the thrill of getting an invitation to the NCAA Tournament. He most-appreciates the relationships he built during the four-year journey.

“It’s hard for me to remember who won the national championship last year,” Perkins said. “Those things come and go. If you have a group of people who can really turn a program around, change the whole thought process of Laker basketball and do it while being stand-up guys and good citizens – that respect is more important than winning a few games. And if you can do that while winning a few games, it’s that much better.”