Glue Guy Marandet Honored As POY
WARSAW – The value to a basketball team of a great floor general goes far beyond the stat sheet.
Warsaw’s Paul Marandet is proof positive of that fact.
The junior guard, who simply does it all for the Tigers, is much more valuable than any of his numbers will show.
Marandet, though, boasts so many intangibles and a wealth of all-around contributions for coach Doug Ogle’s team that he is the choice for the Ink Free News Boys Basketball Player of the Year.
Marandet, the true glue guy on a well-balanced, versatile and deep Tiger squad, was selected as the first POY by the IFN sports staff.
Ogle, whose team heads into sectional play Tuesday night sporting an 18-4 mark, applauds the choice.
“You can’t win big without a really good leader and we have one in Paul,” said Ogle. “He’s our defensive quarterback. He’s our offensive quarterback. His leadership has made a huge difference in our team this season. He’s become the leader I was begging for him to become and it’s been a huge boost for us.
“The thing about Paul is that he just loves the game and just wants to win. He’s a throwback guy. He’s just a basketball junkie. I think that our guys respect Paul a lot and that really helps when you are trying to lead.”
Marandet, a strong 6-0 guard, averages just 5.4 points-per-game on a team that has plenty of guys that can score. However, he leads his team in rebounding at 4.5 caroms per game and ranks first in both assists and blocked shots and second in steals.
“I just try to do a little bit of everything,” said Marandet. “I like it a lot that I can be a versatile point guard. Defense is a big thing for me. Defense wins championships and I want to win championships.
“A big thing for me this year has been to try and be the leader that coach Ogle wants me to be. This year, I’m more vocal. Leadership is not about criticism. It’s about being honest.
“I have good teammates and coaches that help me out. They have helped make me more confident.”
Ogle, who is in his 13th season as the Warsaw head coach, says it’s all about the bottom line for Marandet.
“Paul is very likable and he can call out others on the team when he needs to and they accept it,” stated Ogle. “He will do it and that’s a big thing. You can tell that Paul wants to win by the way he plays the game.”
Marandet’s value was never more evident that this past Friday night. He had eight assists and zero turnovers to go with a team-high six rebounds as the Tigers upset No. 4 Carroll 48-47 in overtime in the regular-season finale. Marandet impacted the game in a huge way despite taking just one shot and scoring two points. He capped the thrilling win with a smart and gorgeous pass to teammate Jake Mangas for the winning basket off an inbounds play at the final horn.
Warsaw has had quite the bounce back season. The Tigers finished just 11-10 overall and 2-5 in the Northern Lakes Conference a year ago but won the NLC title at 7-0, entering sectional play as the team to beat in the Class 4-A field at Elkhart.
“It’s our chemistry and experience,” said Marandet about the keys to this year’s success. “We have much more experience than we did last year and we play as a team.”
Ogle says it’s all about the basketball IQ of his backcourt ace.
“Paul is very knowledgeable about the game,” Ogle stated. “He thinks like a coach and makes very good suggestions. I listen to him when he has something to say.”
Marandet also praises his coach.
“I love playing for coach Ogle,” related Marandet. “He’s very smart and he’s a defensive guy.”
It’s not like Marandet can not score or has never held that role on the court.
“I was thinking the other night about when I was in the sixth grade and scored 27 points in the championship game of the elementary tournament here at the Tiger Den,” said Marandet. “If I need to score, I will score. But, I like winning and I can bring my game every night.”
Spoken like a true Player of the Year.