It has been a good start for the Plymouth boys Wildcat basketball team. One of the players to watch this season is senior Matt MacLellan. “I think a lot of the start of the season has been a learning experience for us. We have a lot of young guys that are getting used to playing at this level. But I think we are getting better every day,” MacLellan said.
MacLellan is a center for the Wildcats and says that he enjoys the position even though it isn’t where he started. “I grew up being a guard, so it has taken time to get used to, but I like it a lot. I try not just to stay inside and stretch the floor as well. I post up smaller guys but also like to drive from the outside and shoot the 3,” MacLellan commented.
Basketball means a lot to MacLellan and says he would not know what to do without it. “Basketball is huge for me. I’ve been playing it and watching it all my life. I plan on continuing to do that for as long as I can,” MacLellan added.
Basketball is a very mental game, and MacLellan says he always takes some time to get mentally prepared. “To prepare for a game, I try to get myself in the right mindset by imagining the game in my head and watching a film. When it comes close to game time, I listen to music that will hype me up and get me excited to play. I try to think about the game beforehand so I can be ready for it. Watching the film also helps me feel ready for the team I am playing,” MacLellan stated.
Basketball has taught MacLellan a lot during his time at Plymouth, and he will remember the lessons he learned for the rest of his life. “The biggest thing that basketball has taught me is how to fight through adversity. Bad things come, and the only thing you can do is keep working. There are always tough times. It’s easy to be positive during the good times, but you have to work hard to be positive during the bad times,” MacLellan mentioned.
MacLellan will miss a lot about high school basketball, but the biggest thing that he will miss is playing on Friday nights. “I’ll miss the Friday night games with all my friends there. I’ll never forget the energy of those games,” MacLellan remarked.