Brotherly battles spurred Selvick
Eisenhower High senior selected CNI All-Suburban
The competitive nature that serves New Berlin Eisenhower's Austin Selvick so well has its origins in his childhood contests with older brother Travis.
"I would play against him all the time," Austin said of Travis, a former Lions standout who is now studying mechanical engineering at the Milwaukee School of Engineering. "Whether it was chess, basketball or backyard football, I wanted to beat him."
That carried over to his high school career. He made a number of huge plays as a wide receiver for the Lions football team last fall, even setting a school record for single-game yardage in just one half.
Once he took to the basketball court, he continued his clutch play, continually coming up with the big basket, rebound or steal to help the Lions win their fourth straight Woodland Conference North Division championship and post another 20-victory season.
"Austin is a competitor," coach Dave Scheidegger said. "It could be marbles, tiddlywinks or basketball, he's going to compete."
Selvick averaged 11.6 points and 5.1 rebounds last season, also leading the team in steals with 61 and assists with 68 and earning first-team all-division honors.
He is also a member of the 2008-09 CNI All-Suburban Team.
Selvick embraced the various challenges of playing point guard. "You're the quarterback of the team, the floor leader," he said.
Scheidegger thought Selvick fit nicely into the role because of his versatility. "He was one of the best point guards in the area," the coach said. "He's kind of a triple whammy - he can drive, shoot and pass. He can also post up and his 6-4 frame makes him tough on defense."
Like Mike Hojnacki before him, Selvick came into the season with limited varsity experience, but blossomed into a key player.
He said that is all part of the Eisenhower way. "When people get into the game, they step up to the plate," he said. "We always have people who can fill the shoes of the graduates. Coach tells us that every class is important."
Now it is Selvick's turn to leave shoes to fill next season. He will be playing football next fall for the University of Minnesota-Duluth, the defending NCAA Division II champion. "That was a nice fit for me," he said. "It's not too big or too small."
One thing is for sure: Duluth will be getting itself a talented player and true competitor.
John Rech can be reached at (262) 446-6610. Read his blog at NewBerlinNOW.com.
IN THE CLUTCH
Austin Selvick of New Berlin Eisenhower saved some of his best games for crucial contests, including a career-best 25-point performance in a WIAA regional victory over Port Washington. Here are his highest point totals and how Eisenhower fared:
MANITOWOC: 18 points, victory
ST. FRANCIS: 16 points, victory
NEW BERLIN WEST: 15 points, victory
WAUWATOSA WEST: 16 points, victory
WAUWATOSA WEST: 17 points, victory
PORT WASHINGTON: 25 points, victory
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Mehryn Kraker of West Allis Central reached a personal milestone Jan. 24 against Wauwatosa East when she cleared 1,000 points for her career, leading her squad with 25 points. She was the leading scorer again Jan. 27 with 16, while teammate Claire Hankins played the hero by hitting a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to give the Bulldogs an upset win over Sussex Hamilton. Central has played a brutal schedule this year, and it's paying off to the tune of four straight wins.
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