Family: Parents, Bruce and Jill Spindler, sisters Devin (14) and Ashley (25), brother Blake (24).
Favorite athlete: Kevin Durant.
Favorite team: Duke Blue Devils.
Other sports: Football, baseball, track.
Hobbies: Hanging out with friends, going to gym and batting cage, watching Duke basketball.
Toughest competitor:"Skyler Flatten. He started guarding me last year. He's six-five and it's hard to get shots over him."
Future plans: Play either college baseball or basketball, undecided on school.
A favorite memory:"Scoring my career high against Britton-Hecla."
Disappointed with how the night was progressing, Connor Spindler used his anger as fuel and produced a happy ending for the Webster basketball squad.
Spindler tossed in a career-high 30 points as the Bearcats defeated Britton-Hecla last Thursday, including 14 during a fourth-quarter rally. On Saturday, he followed that with a 22-point effort in a victory over Tiospa Zina.
For his efforts, Spindler is the American News Athlete of the Week.
Webster trailed by nine entering the fourth quarter against Britton-Hecla, which wasn't what Spindler wanted to see on the scoreboard.
"I was upset that we were down by so much," Spindler said. "I made a few shots in a row, and everything fell into place and the other players started to shoot (better). We got momentum and ended up taking the lead and hit free throws at the end."
His fourth-quarter output included three of his four three-pointers of the night as Webster went on a 25-9 run to overtake the Braves. Spindler has 12 three-pointers this season, and while he has relied on his long-range abilities, he has worked on adding to his arsenal.
"I used to be just a three-point specialist, but I've tried to add stuff to my game," Spindler said. "I've worked on driving to the hoop."
Three-point line or free-throw line, Spindler is equally effective. For the season, he is shooting 24 of 25 (96 percent) from the foul line. After shooting under 50 percent from the free throw line during his sophomore season, Spindler said he worked on that during the off-season.
Spindler, a 17-year-old senior, leads the Bearcats with a 16.8 points per game average, is tied for the team lead in steals and is second in rebounding.
"Connor is a very hard worker and tremendous shooter with unlimited range," said Webster coach Ken Wright. "When he is hitting from deep, he is almost impossible to guard. He also is a solid scorer off the dribble and can see the court to find open teammates. This creates all kinds of offensive opportunities for our team. Connor is a solid, hard-nosed defender as well. I can't say enough about him; he's been an absolute joy to coach."
Teams are taking a different approach with Spindler, taking into account his tendency to shoot from behind the three-point line.
"I am definitely being guarded closer. A lot of teams guard me with taller guys; it's harder to shoot over them," Spindler said. "My teammates can hit shots, so it's pretty easy to pass the ball."
Spindler feels improved shooting has helped Webster get on the right track this season.
"We hadn't shot the ball very well," Spindler said. "Against Clark-Willow Lake, we were down at the half and started shooting the ball better, and scored 46 in the second half. If we shoot the ball well, I believe we can play with anyone."