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Logan Bailey, Athlete of the Week, Scranton Prep basketball
The Scranton Prep senior scored 31 points and had 11 steals in two games, leading the Cavaliers to their fourth consecutive Lynett Memorial Tournament championship.
Age: 18
Family: Father, Todd; mother, Margi; younger brother, Dawson
Athletes you admire: Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler. Kevin Durant for his love for his family, and for his love for his mother, especially. Kawhi Leonard and Jimmy Butler, their hard work and work ethic.
Sports teams you follow: Cleveland Cavaliers. I was a Cavaliers fan before LeBron (James) came back to make that clear. I was always liked Kyrie (Irving). He was from New Jersey and I grew up there. I always followed him throughout his career.
Any game day rituals or superstitions? I always have a chocolate Tastycake with vanilla filling.
Most famous person you’ve met? J.R. Smith. My dad was his jayvee coach at St. Benedict’s in Jersey City.
He used to practice his dunks with a trampoline? He said all of his dunking ability came from jumping off the trampoline and dunking on his basketball hoop, which hung over his trampoline at his house.
Most famous person’s number in your cell phone? My brother Dawson. He’s a rapper and he’s already had four concerts, the latest of which was Dec. 28 at Levels.
Three people you’d like to have dinner with. George Lucas, Sophie Turner, the actress from Game of Thrones, and Martin Luther King.
Opponent you wish was a teammate? I would say Ky’Ron Harbin from Scranton.
Best opponent you’ve guarded or had guard you in an AAU tournament? Tyus Battle, who’s now at Syracuse. This was back in sixth grade, but he was breaking me down. He had like 30 against me. Obviously I was upset about it. It made me work harder. Or Quadi Green (Neumann-Goretti). He’s going to Kentucky next year. We played him in states.
Does Tyus Battle remember you? I don’t think so, but maybe he remembers my two points. He might, I don’t know.
Toughest venue you’ve ever played in. West Scranton. (The fans are) right on the court, but it’s a good one. I love it.
Where do you hope basketball takes you down the road? Rather than a level, I hope it creates opportunities for me. So, even if it’s not playing in college, playing professionally or at the next level, it’s meeting new people and being able to have basketball in common.
What major are you hoping to pursue? I’ve always been interested in the medical field, so I’d like to be a doctor or do one of the sciences.
Playing Division I basketball could be quite a challenge for someone studying pre-med. I’ve talked to Coach Carl Danzig at the University of Scranton, I’ve worked their camp a few times, and they have a great medical program. So that’s always an option. I’ve talked to the Gettysburg coach, a couple of Division IIs, East Stroudsburg and Bloomsburg, and I was talking to Lafayette and a few other schools. Life comes first, and career.
Most important lesson you’ve learned in your years on varsity. You have to come out and compete. You have to work hard every day at practice and you have to earn your spot.
Who’s the most improved player on your team from last year to this year? Brett Para. He had a really good spring and summer, jumping high, running fast, scoring a lot.
Where do you sense the team is now in terms of where you want to be? We’re not at our peak yet, which is great. We still have room to improve and when we have to be at our best, we will be. Which is going into states and the playoffs.
In its 67th season, the ATHLETE OF THE WEEK appears every Monday in The Times-Tribune. A radio interview with Bailey will air on a future “In The Zone” with Joby Fawcett on NEPA’s ESPN Radio 630 and 1240 AM and 96.1 and 100.1 FM. To see more of
Bailey’s interview, visit the High School Sports Blog at thetimes-tribune.com/sports.