Will power

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By Brittany Brownrigg, November 12, 2009

 “We know it’s going to be tough, but we think we can do it,” Conoley said.

           

The 2009 HCAC Freshman of the Year had a stellar first season with the Grizzlies. He led the team in rebounds (152, 5.6 per game) and blocked shots (34), and had the third highest scoring average (13.9 ppg) behind the two senior guards.

Conoley’s hopes are for continued victory. They will once again be working towards winning another HCAC regular season title as well as a tournament title.

           

“We don’t think there should be a drop off this season,” Conoley said.

           

He says that having four seniors on the team last year contributed to their success.

           

“It was a really good experience playing with them,” Conoley said.

           

The good experiences that Conoley had with his team last year would not have been possible had it not been for the years of work and practice he put into the game. Conoley says that he has been playing the game basically all his life.

           

“As long as I can remember,” Conoley said.

           

His family is filled with athletes. Both of his sisters - Caitlyn (22) and Kristen (13) - and his brother - Phillip (17) - are or have been involved in sports. Conoley’s father - Chris - spent time playing basketball for Butler Ball State Universities, before transfering to Franklin College and playing during his junior and senior seasons. Chris played a significant role in Will’s athletic life.

           

“He’s helped me out all of my life . . . he’s been through everything before I went through it,” Conoley said.

           

Basketball has brought Conoley and his father closer. He remembers working to improve his skills with his father on their family’s home hoop. 

           

Conoley, who is from Franklin, graduated from Franklin Community High School. His high school had around 1,500 students while he was there. Not only did he play on the high school team in season, but he did team camps and workouts in the off-season.

           

“Once I got to high school I didn’t play on travel teams . . . I’d work on it on my own in [the] summer,” Conoley said.

           

Franklin Community High School’s men’s basketball team made it to the sectional game in Conoley’s sophomore year, but Conoley did not get much playing time.

           

“I was about 6’3” 165 pounds my sophomore year . . . I was a beanpole,” Conoley said.

           

During his junior year, though, the game began to click. In the summer before his junior year Conoley and his father began lifting weights. He said that his junior year was really when the thought of playing college ball crossed his mind.

           

“I love playing basketball, I’ve never had the thought of not playing,” Conoley said.

           

Conoley’s older sister, Caitlyn, graduated from Franklin College and played tennis while she was here. Throughout this time, Will got see Franklin’s campus and become familiar with the school.

           

When looking at colleges Will knew he wanted to stay in the state of Indiana, that he wanted to attend a smaller school and that he wanted to play basketball.

           

“It wasn’t my only goal, but that was a perk,” Conoley said.

           

After applying to a couple of different schools and looking into his options, Conoley decided to go to Franklin College where he would have small classes, stay close to home and get to play the game he loves.

           

Conoley has not only gotten involved in the basketball program, he is also a Residence Assistant for the Dietz Center. Being involved in both the basketball program and the R.A. program is extremely time consuming. Conoley says that doing both has helped him with his time management skills. Balancing practice, games, and duties are not easy but he finds a way to get it done.

           

Conoley is about to have a little bit more to balance as basketball games start next week. He believes that Transylvania will be the grizzly’s main competition again this season. Conoley said that the team – including this year’s freshmen – has been playing together for about a month now. They went to Canada over fall break, and have been bonding through these past weeks.

           

“We’re molding pretty well now . . . we can do some stuff this year,” Conoley said.