Suddeth was do-everything leader for Jackson High in 2015-16
By Mike Moore
Staff Writer
Jackson – The score sheet suggested his importance to the Jackson boys basketball team on a nightly basis.
But those closest to the Vikings’ program know the impact Shonte Suddeth had on the day-to-day success went well beyond points and rebounds.
He was Jackson’s quiet leader, the guy who could play all positions and guard all types of offenders.
If the Vikings needed him to score, he could.
Rebound? Sure.
Lead? Without a doubt.
“His drive to be good is what set him apart,” coach Dan Crowley said. “He worked harder than anyone we have. I’d get calls from him on the weekend to work out. Over Christmas time he wanted to get in and work on shooting. That’s just the kind of player he was.”
The kind of player that earned the 2015-16 JTV Sports Boys Basketball Player of the Year award.
“People have told me he’s as good a point guard as Jackson has ever had,” Crowley said. “I don’t know if that’s the case or not, but since I’ve been a freshman in high school, and being able to compare him to others, I will say he was awfully good.”
Suddeth capped his career by leading Jackson in scoring with 13.9 points per game. He also had a team-best 5.1 assists per game, and despite playing point guard, tied for the team best with 4.9 rebounds per game.
“He’s the focus of every team’s game plan,” Crowley said with a laugh. “Teams tried to force him to give the ball up. But we could count on him, no matter what. And depending on the lineup we had in there, he’d be low in the zone because of his strength and ability to rebound.”
“Having been around this team so much, I felt like this was the type of season I had to have,” Suddeth said. “We probably didn’t win as much as I would have liked, but this was a good group. We did some good things as a team.”
More than anything, Suddeth was a model of consistency, a guy who rarely left the game, but always left his mark when on the court.
In the Vikings’ 21 games this season, Suddeth led the team in scoring 14 times.
“Enjoy coaching a guy like this so much,” Crowley said. “The only frustrating part is he never wanted to come out. Getting him a minute here or there was a struggle. But he’s a guy that trains himself so hard, he was able to play that much. It was a pleasure to coach him. He’s the kind of kid other kids wanted to play with, to be on his team.”
Asked why he felt he enjoyed some of the success he did, Suddeth said it came down to his work ethic.
“On and off the court,” he said. “I always felt I was giving everything I had.”
Mike Moore is a play-by-play commentator and Sports Writer for JTV Sports. You can reach him atmjm12@albion.edu. He’s also the author of ‘Love, Defined; A Dedication to the Love, Sacrifice, and Magic of Motherhood.’
Love, Defined is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Tate Publishing or by contacting Mike directly.
