P.O. Male Athlete of the Week: Cameron Roseman

So much of the focus for Shalom Christian's boys basketball team this season has been on the area's second leading scorer, Jonah Stains.

But every hero needs a sidekick, and sophomore Cameron Roseman fits that role perfectly. Roseman averaged more than 16 points per game over the course of the three-game tournament to lift the Flames to their first Mason-Dixon Christian Conference championship in more than a decade. He is the Public Opinion Male Athlete of the Week.

"The last time Shalom won was 12 years ago, so way back then, I was looking up to them and thinking that I would never be able to get a championship," Roseman said. "But the dream came true. I will always give the praise and glory to God alone, and it feels great."

Roseman made his presence known early and often at Shalom, averaging 12.3 ppg as a freshman, but this season, he has gotten only better. He's pushed his average up by more than a point and has made strides at becoming a more-well rounded player.

"He's always been a very skilled offensive player, and as he continues to mature, he's only going to get better," Flames coach Danley Shank said. "What I've been most pleased with is he's starting to grasp how he can be effective on the defensive side as well."

Roseman said, "Last year, I wasn't the best defender, and I tried to make it a goal that I would always be able to guard the other team's best player. I also like to play a lot of help defense and stuff like that."

Despite being a sharpshooter, Roseman also had to adjust his offensive game to continue his success. As a freshman, Roseman was a 3-point machine, and although he still leads the team in field goals from beyond the arc, he's also found a myriad of ways to rack up the points.

"In the offseason, I really worked on my mid-range game," Roseman said. "Last season, I didn't have many mid-range jumpers, so I worked on that a lot. I also focused on ball handling, so I could get out of any (trouble)."

Roseman scored just two 3-pointers but still managed to rack up 24 points in Shalom's conference-winning game against Shenandoah Valley. He scored three layups and a pair of jumpers to go along with seven rebounds and three steals.

"I like to start the game by taking it (inside) more, so I can build that confidence to shoot outside," Roseman said. "Going back to the defensive end, I was just really active (against SVCA), so I got a few steals and could run the floor. I shot pretty well, too, which helped."

Cameron Roseman, Shalom Christian

Sport: Boys basketball

Position: Guard

Grade: Sophomore

Height: 6-foot-1

Parents: Murray and Heidi Roseman

Other interests: Cameron likes to hang out with his friends, and may play travel basketball this spring.

Surprising fact: He eats a Snicker's bar before every game.

Favorite team: UNC Tarheels

Athlete most admired: Chris Paul

Statistics: Roseman averaged 16.7 points per game in the Mason-Dixon Christian Conference tournament ... In the championship game, which Shalom won 67-46 over No. 1-seeded Shenandoah Valley, Roseman had a season-high 24 points to go along with 7 rebounds and 3 steals ... In the quarterfinals versus Heritage, Roseman went 10-for-10 from the foul line - including 8 in the final quarter - and totaled 20 points.