The Drill: Trojans' Knothe helps set the tone for basketball team
Dec. 14—WORTHINGTON — "Potential" is a funny word.
It's thrown around at the start of many sports seasons, and it's easy to throw because it's a little bit squishy. It is defined in the Oxford dictionary this way: "Having or showing the capacity to become or develop into something in the future."
The word was used to define the 2021-22 Worthington High School boys basketball team during pre-season practice sessions, and it was a word that seemed apt. The Trojans had several very athletic players last year, and there was no doubt that when you watched them play you could see "potential" all over the place.
Their potential wasn't fully met in 2021-22. They finished 7-19 and their attempts to "jell" as a unit was largely a hit-and-miss effort.
The good news today, however, is that many of the players who showed such promise last year are back for 2022-23. And because they're a year older, with a year's more experience under their belts, prospects have been set high. It's time, then, for the potential to blossom.
One of the top players from last year's squad is Kaleb Knothe, a smart, determined 6-1 junior who hopes to do his part to help the team finish more often on the "win" side of the ledger. Knothe established himself as a strong shooter in his sophomore campaign, and he's also a good passer and rebounder. He drives well to the basket on offense, and he works hard on defense, too.
Knothe ran cross country for the Trojans in the fall, and he's planning to play baseball in the spring. Basketball, however, is a special love.
"I just always dreamed when I was little, like playing in front of all the flashing camera lights and having the crowd. And when I was first-game starting, and just going out of the tunnel with everyone cheering, it was just a really great feeling," he recalled.
He sees his role on the 2022-23 team as a tone-setter, a "floor general" who can distribute the basketball to teammates and score when called upon.
"I like to know where everyone's going, kind of pass the ball, know where everyone's got to be," he said recently.
Kaleb Knothe is this week's Globe Drill subject. You can see a video of him online at
. Here's a sample of our interview:
QUESTION: What kind of personal goals do you have for yourself on the basketball court?
ANSWER: "I set myself on a pace to average 13 points a game to get to the 1,000-point club by my senior year. And that's one of my big goals. Just trying to score enough to help the team and stay on pace for that goal."
QUESTION: Tell us the most valuable piece of advice you've received in your sports career.
ANSWER: "I think the most valuable advice I've had was that even if you're not the most skilled player or the most athletic first day, just put in more hours of working. I had a coach tell me for an off-season team that I wasn't the most athletic kid on the floor, but I've wanted to work hard. And that's just what I've been told, that you can make up the work for not being as athletic or maybe as skilled as some other players."
QUESTION: Tell us about some of your interests when you're not playing sports.
ANSWER: "Outside of sports, I sometimes like to play other sports, whether it be soccer or baseball — go out and play catch. I like to go drive around or listen to music sometimes. Just the everyday teen-ager thing, I guess."
