Listed at 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, Sterling junior guard Jack Saathoff is not the biggest player on the court.
But when the final buzzer sounds, there’s a good chance he ended up with the game-high in rebounds.
What’s his key?
All-out effort.
“When I see the ball in the air, it’s mine; no one else is going to get it,” he said. “I’ll do whatever it takes to get it.”
Saathoff had a game-high 14 rebounds in Sterling’s 72-49 Western Big 6 Conference loss to Galesburg on Tuesday night.
Keigen Crummer led the Silver Streaks (17-11, 6-6 Big 6) with a career-high 33 points after entering the game averaging just 7.7 in conference play. Brady Berlin led Sterling (5-22, 2-10 Big 6) with 12 points off the bench, and Xavian Prather added 10.
Saathoff is at 315 rebounds and counting this season, just 33 away from breaking Sterling’s single-season record of 347 by Aidan Shore in 2019.
Saathoff entered Tuesday’s game leading the rugged Big 6 in rebounding at 10.9 boards per game. He is averaging 11.7 per game for the season in 23.5 minutes a contest.
“I’ve got long arms, and I jump,” he said. “When someone shoots it, I can see where it’s going to end up. I have good peripheral [vision] from there.
“That’s what I bring to our team, rebounding and hustle. That’s what I do.”
A skilled wide receiver on the football field, Saathoff is accustomed to jumping in traffic and being physical in the air.
“The young man has a motor,” Sterling coach Ryan Vasquez said. “He has a nose for the ball and does a great job on that. And he’s consistent.”
Whether it’s during practice or a game, Vasquez said Saathoff goes for every rebound. He has 231 more rebounds than Sterling’s second leading rebounder, Koby Bell, who has 84 on the season.
“His standard is, when the ball is in the air, he is going to go get it,” Vasquez said. “Since Day 1, he’s done that.”
Bell, Sterling’s senior power forward, said Saathoff puts in the extra effort going for the ball.
“He’s one of those guys that just tries to go grab every rebound,” he said. “He’s a high-effort guy.”
Having a player like that helps take pressure off others and can provide a spark.
“He always brings the energy,” Bell said.
Sterling is continuing to gain experience this season and trying to put together a complete 32 minutes, Vasquez said. But Saathoff has been one of the bright spots.
“He’s with the elite guys up there with the rebounding crew. He knows what he can do and what he’s capable of,” Vasquez said. “I know he wants to reach that [record] goal, but I also know that young man wants to win, and he’ll do anything for his team to go get a win.”
With three regular-season games left before the playoffs begin, Saathoff hopes to help make both things happen.
“I’m hoping to break it soon.”
