Dan
BIG
MAN ON CAMPUS
Injury
ignites play of senior center
By:
Dan Bolsen
EUREKA, Ill.- Every successful sports season for a team
or an individual seems to have a defining moment. At Eureka College, this
unwritten rule is no different.
During practice last November, men’s basketball senior
Mark Lessen blocked a shot, but when he landed, it was directly on a teammate’s
foot. As Lessen immediately went to the ground in pain, the 6’7’’, 220-pound center’s
season was in jeopardy.
“I went to the doctor and got X-rays. The doctor looked
at them and told me my foot was broke,” Lessen said.
The diagnosis would have meant a multi-month absence for
Lessen, but before his final season on the hardwood was shortened, Lessen
sought-out another opinion.
“I went and got an MRI, and it showed that my foot was
not broke. So, I received treatment for the minor injury to a little bone in my
foot that I did have, and I got back to playing,” Lessen said.
Lessen missed three games while his injury healed, but
the center used the downtime to gather his focus for the start of 2013 and the
conference grind.
“The injury has motivated me. This is my last season, and
I just want to work hard to finish my career strong,” Lessen said.
Lessen’s “motivation” has parlayed into a magnificent
2013. As of February 4, Lessen ranks second in the St. Louis Intercollegiate
Athletic Conference (SLIAC) in scoring at 19.9 points per game. He leads the
conference in rebounds per game (9.3) and blocks (38). He has recorded three-straight
double-doubles, and he is a nightmare for an opposing coach to scheme against.
“Mark is reaping the rewards of his hard work,” Red
Devils Head Coach Chip Wilde said, “It is tough to find big, strong, and
skilled players who like to have their back to the basket.”
Although Lessen is putting together a strong season
statistically overall, his statistics in conference play have been eye-popping.
Since January 1, Lessen has averaged 21.3 points per game, 9.7 rebounds per
game, and he has blocked 24 shots. Against conference-only opponents, Lessen
ranks first in points per game (21.3), rebounds per game (9.7), total points
(213), total rebounds (97), blocks (24), and made field goals (90).
Lessen’s dominating play is resulting in a lot of awards.
He has received three-straight SLIAC Player of the Week honors, and he was
selected to the D3Hoops.com National Team of the Week on January 29, a week in
which Lessen scored his 1,000th career point. Only one other Red
Devil (Kameron Bell in 2009) has received the national honor. Lessen’s
accolades have sparked conversation about him being a potential candidate for
SLIAC Player of the Year.
“I think an award like (SLIAC Player of the Year) is hard
to predict at this point. There is no doubt Mark is one of the best three or
four players in the conference. The main thing is the team just has to keep
winning. People get recognition when you win,” Wilde said.
As the 2012-2013 season heads into the “final turn,” the
Red Devils (12-8, 8-4 in SLIAC) are likely to finish in the top-four of the
conference, which will earn them a bid in the SLIAC Conference Tournament.
“We just have to go game-by-game. We have some big games
coming up. Our goal is to extend the season as long as possible,” Wilde said.
“The first step is securing a spot in the conference
tournament. Then, we have to win the tournament to get an NCAA Tournament bid.
We just have to keep fighting and see how far we can go,” Lessen said.
Based on the recent play of Red Devils’ big man, ousting
Eureka College from postseason play will be no small task.
