Skip to main content

P.O. Male Athlete of the Week: Casey Hoover


For the last several weeks, Greencastle-Antrim's boys basketball team has been making heads turn.

The Blue Devils are on a five-game winning streak and are coming off a championship at the Richard E. Doub Classic over the holidays. Much of their success has been thanks to Casey Hoover, who is the Public Opinion Male Athlete of the Week.

"That was a huge win for us," Hoover said. "Tournaments are always a big thing, and you want to win them. Our defense kept us in there, and our offense has been doing well. We've been playing some pretty good basketball lately."

Hoover, who emerged as an scoring threat for the Blue Devils as a freshman two years ago, has continued to impress on the offensive side of the ball. He has scored double figures every game this season and averaged 16.5 points per game at the tournament in Williamsport, Md.

"As a coach, you don't want to mess with a kid that's averaging that many," Greencastle coach Gary Martin said. "It's night in and night out, he's gonna get you double figures, but we're always trying to push him for more. We told him that if he could pick up his defense and got into the passing lanes more, he'd have the whole game."

Hoover's defense was on display in Williamsport. He racked up seven steals in G-A's opening game versus Broadfording, then added five more against the host Wildcats in the championship game. He was awarded for his well-balanced performance by being named the Tournament MVP.

"Not that his defense was bad in prior years, but it was nothing that popped off the charts," Martin said. "Now, he's in the stat sheets with rebounds, steals, and he's probably our assist leader even though he's getting so many points."

Hoover said, "It's improved a lot, and I've really been trying to focus on defense more this year. We have five guys on the court that score, so I'm trying to contribute a little more in other ways."

Mission accomplished.

Casey Hoover, Greencastle-Antrim

Sport: Boys basketball

Grade: Junior

Position: Point guard

Height: 6-foot-1

Parents: Greg Hoover and Susan Bowen

Surprising fact: He wears the same undershirt, depending on if it's a home game or away, but he wears the same socks to every game.

Favorite team: Casey is an avid North Carolina basketball fan.

Athlete most admired: LeBron James

Statistics: Hoover was named the Richard E. Doub Classic Tournament's MVP after back-to-back double-digit performances ... He pocketed 16 points in the first round and 17 in the championship game against Williamsport, Md. ... Hoover's defense was also on display, as he combined for 12 steals in the two games.