Grant's Shields making all the right moves

Fun is no problem for Grant senior guard Mike Shields. And neither is focus.

But sometimes Shields is so focused on basketball it may look like he's not having much fun.

Add in the fact that he's somewhat of a stoic personality anyway and Shields often comes off as super serious.

"Mike's got a lot of friends on the team, but, during the season, I'm not sure how much he hangs out with them just because he's so focused on basketball," Grant coach Phil Ralston said. "He's such a competitor. Before games, he'll go off by himself and sit. But I think part of that is that he's just a quiet kid."

Or is he?

Because Ralston lets his players have some team-only time in the locker room before games, he might not know that there is quite another side to Shields. It's a side never seen on the court, and rarely elsewhere. But it's there.

Especially when the right kind of music is playing.

"Mike is probably one of the most serious guys on the team," said Grant forward Aaron Wehde, who has been friends with Shields since grade school. "Before games, I've seen him do pushups in the locker room and he'll sometimes sit by himself for a while with a blank stare on his face. But he can also have fun, too.

"We play a lot of rap music in the locker room and Mike likes to dance. He's not shy about it. He's all over the place with his dance moves. I think he wants to make sure everyone is loose before the game. And it works because he gets everyone laughing. It's a good atmosphere. People who don't know him wouldn't think he'd be like that at all."

What has been predictable about Shields is his play this season. Game in and game out, he's been Grant's go-to guy.

Shields is averaging about 23 points and has had four 30-plus games, including a 32-point performance last week against Wauconda.

Earlier this month against Vernon Hills, Shields reached a major scoring milestone when he tallied the 1,000th point of his career. He now has 1,100 points and sits fifth all time in the Grant record books.

When all is said and done, he could rank as high as third. He'd have to average 19 points through the rest of the regular season.

"I never expected to be at this point now," said Shields, who scored a career-high 34 points against Johnsburg over Thanksgiving. "But the input I've gotten over the years from the coaches has helped me a lot during my career.

"I just try to really listen to what they say and applying it during practice and games. They've worked with me on my shot selection and on my free throws and on defense and on just being a leader on the team and getting everyone involved. I guess I've continued to get better."

Shields was already pretty good when he first started playing varsity basketball. As a sophomore.

He made the team that year and wound up earning a starting spot six or seven games into the season when point guard Zach Williams broke his wrist.

"It was a little hard for Mike at first because it was the first time he really had to bring the ball up and be a true point guard," Ralston said. "But he really improved as the year went on and he did a lot of really good things for us that season."

Ralston says that since then Shields has developed into a top-notch ball-handler, which has made him only better at what he's always done best: drive to the basket.

Shields scores the bulk of his points taking the ball to the hoop.

"When he drives to the basket, he can just float in the air," Wehde said. "He can change his shot four times on the way. He's really athletic. And I think it's helped him that he's put in a lot of time in the weight room."

Shields has a membership to a gym not far from his house and says that he's definitely getting his money's worth.

"I try to go there as much as I can," Shields said. "This past season, I did a lot of weight and strength training on my own and with Coach (assistant coach Wayne Bosworth) Bos. It's helped me a lot, especially with my post-up skills."

Besides driving to the basket, Shields is also extremely dangerous in the post -- even at 6-foot-1. His moves are smooth and he's strong enough to post up bigger players.

"If he wants to, he can make a living in the post with his back to the basket," Ralston said. "There are a lot of ways Mike can hurt you -- in the post, driving to the basket, in transition. And he's a very underrated passer and defender.

"There's a potential gem here with Mike. But he's kind of been flying under the radar."

So far, college is a question mark for Shields. He's gotten bites from several schools, including St. Norbert in Green Bay as well as Wisconsin-Parkside, Wisconsin-Whitewater and North Central.

But he's not sure where he'll ultimately end up.

"I've always wanted to play basketball in college," Shields said. "I'd be pretty happy if I got to do that."

Happy enough to dance? In public?

"That's always a possibility," Shields chuckled.

What about dancing on the court?

"Maybe," Shields said, not sounding too convincing. "If we're playing a big game and we're up by 20, maybe that's when it'll come out."