Athlete of the week: Drew Gaston

Sport: Men’s basketball

Position: Point Guard/Shooting Guard

Year: Sophomore

Hometown: Shabbona

High School: Indian Creek High School

Lily Goodfellow: How is the team doing this season?

Drew Gaston: We’ve had some ups and downs, but overall it’s a great group of guys. I love my coaches and I love my teammates. I’d say this season’s going pretty well.

LG: What’s the most points you’ve ever scored in a game?

DG: It was last year. We played Malcolm X. I had 40 points.

LG: Wow! Have you had to deal with any injuries?

DG: No, not last year, but this season right now I tore something in my thumb. I was just at the doctor right before this meeting so I got to get an MRI to get it checked out.

LG: How did you tear it?

DG: I was playing basketball and I went to dive for the ball and I fell on it. I fell on it wrong so it kind of tore.

LG: Where do you see yourself in five years?

DG: Hopefully I’ll be done with school, have my bachelor’s degree in business or education, and then hopefully I’ll still be playing basketball overseas or professionally somewhere.

LG: Where do you think you want to go for school after COD?

DG: I’m hoping to get myself on a Division 1 program, but honestly, as long as I’m still playing basketball, I’ll be happy going to school and getting my education. 

LG: Cool! What are some of your favorite hobbies?

DG: Other than basketball, I play soccer, I play golf, and I play baseball. Some other hobbies I have, I do like to read and listen to music a lot. I do puzzles with my family.

LG: I like to read too. What have you learned about teamwork from your experience in basketball?

DG: What I’ve learned all the years that I’ve been playing basketball is that you can’t do it yourself. You’ve got four other players for a reason, so you’ve got to use teamwork to win games.And that’s why we’re winning games this season, because I’ve got more guys that can help me win games, and there’s guys on the team that do other things than just score. They pass the ball to someone else and play defense really well, so it’s definitely more of a team sport than an “I” sport. You need a whole five or even twelve on the roster to be together and win games.

LG: What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to?

DG: So I like to listen to hip-hop and stuff. My favorite two were Lil’ Baby and Lil’ Durk. They’re from Chicago. Well, Lil’ Baby is from Atlanta, Georgia, and Lil’ Durk is from Chicago. I saw them at the United Center and they performed together. 

LG: What one word best describes you?

DG: Funny.

LG: Thank you, Drew!