The Tribe鈥檚 Connor Kochera is rising above the pressure
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — The weight of expectation is a familiar entity in sports, but it鈥檚 felt with a rawness when it concerns college athletes. These are young students who train intensely in order to compete at the best of their ability on a stage that has a metaphorical life or death connotation. When success greets those young players during their freshman year, there鈥檚 an even greater weight that鈥檚 more pronounced than on those who aren鈥檛 under the spotlight, especially if the team鈥檚 fortunes are dependent on them performing well. It鈥檚 common to have a setback after a breakout season but that isn鈥檛 the case with the Tribe鈥檚 Connor Kochera.
The 6-foot-5 guard is in his sophomore year with William and Mary and has delivered on his promise during his freshman year. Last season, he was named the CAA (Colonial Athletic Association) Rookie of the Year and the VaSID (Virginia Sports Information Directors) Rookie of the Year. Kochera was also included in the CAA All-Rookie team and made it to the CAA commissioner鈥檚 academic honor roll. It鈥檚 a privilege bestowed on students who have participated in a CAA-sponsored sport and attained a minimum grade point average of 3.0 during the designated academic term.
Kochera鈥檚 achievements have carried over to this season where he鈥檚 among the top scorers of the team, averaging 11.4 points per game. He鈥檚 also second on the team concerning averaged rebounds per game with 4.1 and assists for which he has 17 from the nine games he鈥檚 played and started. It鈥檚 clear that head coach, Dane Fisher, views Kochera as an indispensable individual in the offensive end given that the sophomore is the team leader in minutes. He鈥檚 playing on average 30.9 minutes per game. No one else on the team is averaging more than 26.1 minutes per game.
The reason for the prolonged minutes stems from Kochera鈥檚 ability to be a threat on the defensive side of the court. He leads the team with a whopping total of 16 steals. His timing and awareness are decisive contributors when it comes to intercepting and dispossessing the opposition. Those are traits that aren鈥檛 simply taught at practice. In fact, they are attributes that can only blossom with a heightened level of dedication to perfecting one鈥檚 game beyond working hours.
Kochera is a young player who is gifted but who also needs the right mentorship to sustain and develop his already impressive skill set. He鈥檚 no doubt a player who has the mental fortitude to withstand the pressures from opposing teams and the weight of expectation from his admirers. He鈥檚 on the cusp of becoming an elite player at the collegiate level.
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