PNC’s Lone Senior Will be Missed
Stephanie Duff, PNN Staff
February 17, 2012
Filed under PNC Athletics, Sports, Top Stories
Emotions filled the La Porte Civic Auditorium this past Wednesday as the Purdue North Central men’s basketball team recognized their lone senior guard, Nick Neal, for his final season home game.
Although Nick will soon be leaving Purdue North Central Athletics, he has made a significant mark in various areas throughout his time playing for the Panther Basketball Program.
This season in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Nick is:
1st in scoring averaging 21.5 points per game
1st in free throw percentage averaging 82.7% from the line
1st in steals with 49 on the year averaging 2 steals per game
2nd in minutes played averaging 35min per game
4th in assists per game averaging 3 per game
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And too top off these successful achievements, this season Nick has already been a 3- time Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Week!
So what is it that motivates Nick to succeed in all these prominent areas? “My mom is my motivation; she is my heart and soul,” said Neal. “There are times when I don’t feel like getting up for practice, but instantly my mom’s face pops in my mind and that is what motivates me. There are no words to describe what type of influence she has been to me in my life. I know that whether or not I score 100 points in a game or if I score zero, she will always have my back and tell me I’m the best. Without her and God none of my success would have been possible.”
On Wednesday, February 1st this player added to his list of achievements when he joined the exclusive 1,000 points club, of which he managed to reach in less than two years. “It felt awesome reaching 1,000 points!” said Neal, speaking of his most recent feat. “It feels good to cement my legacy here at PNC, and in such a short amount of time. It’s one of my many personal goals that I achieved, as well as leading the CCAC in scoring.”
Nick has made quite an impact over his two years playing for the Panther Basketball Program, prominently in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference, but his impression on his teammates and coaches, especially Panther head coach Kris Schnatz, also will be a huge tribute to his departure of college.
”I will miss Nick’s presence on the floor,” said Panther coach Kris Schatz. “We worked through some difficult times here and we are both better at what we do because of it. We have two sayings this year “Communicate, Care & Compete” and “Heart, Hustle & Muscle.” Nick is a leader in all six of these categories. He has been the heart of this team, he plays all 40 minutes every night and he always plays hard! He has helped me grow as a coach and I hope I was able to influence him in a positive way both on and off the court.”
During his final two years of college basketball with PNC, Nick and Coach Schnatz have both taught and learned from one another. “Coach Schnatz and I have a good relationship. He is a huge part of my success here at PNC because it was him that never stopped believing in my abilities and because of that, he has made me a better person and ball player. And one thing I can definitely say about coach is that HE WANTS TO WIN! And, he is a hard working coach! I will never stop thanking him for giving me another opportunity to live my dreams. I’m confident he will continue to grow as a coach,” said Neal of his gratitude for Schnatz.
Overall, the Nick’s performance in the basketball program has provided him with nothing but excellence. However, his leadership role on the team is one of his highest qualities. The last two seasons have been challenging for the Panthers and that is partly because of the absence of experience, as they currently have eight freshmen on the Panther roster. One of Nick’s priorities as a competent ball player is to lead his teammates, especially the young ones.
With the time expiring for PNC’s lone senior, Coach Schnatz will miss Nick’s leadership role on the basketball court, saying “I believe that Nick has left a lasting impression on our young players. He helped introduce the speed and strength of the college game to them and helped prepare them for success. Unfortunately we did not win a lot of games over the past two years, but this new group will, because of Nick’s influence and determination to push them in practice and on game day. Players like Nick do not come around every year, he is a special basketball player.”
Nick’s leadership will remain an influence on the youngsters of the Panther lineup as he leaves them with some words of advice: “Stay Humble! Stay Hungry. Never get satisfied with your accomplishments. Work hard, even when nobody is looking. Always help the man next to you, whether it’s your teammate, or a stranger.”
Generally, for a basketball player at any age, it’s a big and scary step to go from one level of game play too another. But when college ball reaches its ending, life decisions are forced to be made and it’s not always guaranteed that you will continue to play the game you once loved and move to the next level. Therefore, a player’s final years of college basketball are deeply valued. Nick describes the moments he will miss the most, saying “As crazy as this sounds, I will miss waking up at 5:30 every morning. For me, there is no better feeling than waking up, at a time most people would not even think about waking up, and working hard with a group of guys who have a passion for the game just like I do. I also will miss teaching the young guys everything that I know about life and basketball. I will miss putting on a Panther uniform and playing college basketball! Finally, I will miss being the leader of this team; I loved playing that role, where everybody expects you to lead them throughout the whole year.”
What’s that terrifying thing after college? Oh, yeah…real life. Nick is currently finishing up his Bachelor of Science Degree in Behavioral Science here at PNC and is on the path to graduate this May! After graduation, he will leave with plans to utilize his college education and, of course, will keep working hard on the basketball court. “I plan to focus on school, and continue to work out and get in even-better shape for the next level of basketball. Also, I would like to work with some of the guys that on the team to help them continue to get better.”
Nick has appreciated many of the PNC athletic staff members, saying “I would like to individually thank my teammates, coach Schnatz, coach Potts, coach Adam, coach Weber and his staff, and Doug Cassell.”
Senior point guard for the PNC Panther basketball team, Nick Neal, will be truly missed as he moves towards graduating this May. His leadership traits on and off the basketball court will be valued permanently in the Panther Basketball Program.
The Panthers will end their regular-season on the road as they travel to Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Saturday, February 18 to take on the Wolves at 3:00 PM.
