High school basketball: Campus, style of play draw Alter’s Conner to Marshall

“I just I felt really good on campus,” Conner said Monday after announcing his decision. “It just felt like the spot for me, and I felt really welcomed and at home by the people there and the staff.

“The staff in general just made me feel like a priority when I was on campus.”

Conner had nearly 20 Division I offers and took official visits to Belmont and Santa Clara in June after the NCAA lifted a recruiting dead period that began with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He fell in love with what he saw from the Thundering Herd, including the chance to play in coach Dan D’Antoni’s wide-open offense.

“Definitely. I really think that the style of play they have is going to be able to showcase me and what I can do very well,” Conner said.

And what does Conner do well?

Last season, many things for the 15-8 Knights.

A 6-foot-9 point guard, he averaged 10.5 points and 4.5 assists per game, but that was just the beginning.

He also grabbed 9.5 rebounds per game and had 4.2 blocks and 2.2 steals while making 31.8 percent of his 3-pointers.

He was second in the GCL Coed in rebounds and led the league in assists and blocks.

At Marshall, he expects to be able to do it all as well.

“Everybody plays every position for them,” Conner said. “He doesn’t have a set position so I mean it truly is position-less basketball.

“So there’s times where I might be playing what people would consider like a traditional five (center) when I’m running around setting screens, but then there’s times where I’ll be able to get a rebound and just go with it, so it’s really free.”

After being part a mostly young Alter team last season, Conner looks forward to having a more veteran unit around him this winter.

“This year we’re bringing back everybody but Brian Shane and Josh Slocum,” said Conner, who noted the Knights will also get a full season from Ryan Chew, who averaged 12.9 points per game last season before being forced to the bench by the OHSAA’s transfer rules. “So that’ll be a huge help for us. I wouldn’t say we have a set lineup right now, but so far this summer we’ve been playing really well, so I’m really looking forward to this season.”

This summer, Conner is not worried about improving any particular aspect of his game but rather getting better overall.

“I kind of play it by how I’m playing a game,” he said. “So like right now with AAU, I’m just kind of seeing how I do in games and then taking whatever I need to work on into the gym and working out and making sure I can fix those things so that the next time they’re better.”

Conner also had offers from Wright State, Miami University, Northern Kentucky, Ohio, Toledo, Youngstown State, Mount St. Mary’s, Western Carolina, Winthrop, Stetson, Robert Morris, Bryant, Belmont, Indiana State, Boston, Oakland and Santa Clara.