Western Dubuque's Haldeman emerges into top scorer, D-I recruit

EPWORTH – Spencer Haldeman knew he had to step up his offensive game this basketball season, but doing it this much has even him stumped.

'I can't really explain it,' the junior guard from Western Dubuque said. 'I don't know. I really don't. I just know I have to come out every night and perform, get my teammates involved.'

To heck with your teammates, when you're putting up points like this. That's kidding, of course, Spencer – keep sharing the ball.

WD Coach Dennis Geraghty calls his 6-foot-2 point guard the best passer he's had in 44 years in the business.

'I don't think I've ever had a kid who can see the floor and see the open man like Spencer,' Geraghty said.The other parts to his game are pretty good as well. It's early, five-games-into-the-season early, but Haldeman is averaging 30.2 points, tops in Class 3A.

His stat line across the board is impressive: 51-percent shooter from the field, 41.5 from 3-point land, 52 of 59 free throws (88 percent). His free-throw total is second in 3A, though he has two games in hand on the leader (Mason Jensen of Huxley Ballard).

And the guy is a point guard, not an interior player.

'He has unbelievable range. He really does,' Geraghty said. 'People are starting to play the Box-And-One (defense) to try and keep the ball away from him, but he's such a good ballhandler. He can pull up from long, long range and shoot a jumper, or he has the ability to take the ball to the hoop. It really is pick your poison with him.'

Haldeman plays for the Iowa Barnstormers AAU program and always has been a gym rat. His grandpa, Terry Harris, played basketball for Johnny Orr at Dubuque Senior in the 1950s and spent a lot of time working with him.

This past summer, Haldeman worked extensively on his shot. He deferred offensively a lot last season as a sophomore in an otherwise senior starting lineup, but knew he would have to score a lot more.

Score, he has done.

'I shoot a lot of 3s,' he said. 'But with the new rule changes (limiting perimeter contact), I've been able to get to the line a lot, too, which is good.'

Division I Northern Colorado came to Epworth to watch the Bobcats practice in December and offered Haldeman a scholarship a day after he went off for 39 points in a win over Mount Vernon. It's likely the first of many offers he'll have to sift through in the next year.

'It was a relief to get the first one out of the way,' he said. 'I think it's pretty realistic (to get more). That's what I want to do, play Division I college basketball. I hope all my hard work pays off.'

'I told him that point guards don't get offers as readily as 6-foot-7, 6-8 guys,' Geraghty said. 'He put a ton of hours in the gym over the summer. That was his first offer, but I'm pretty sure it won't be his last.'