Guard Wayne Simon II and forward Tony Wroblicky are a freshman dynamic duo for the men’s basketball team.
“Wayne is definitely Batman,” said Wroblicky of his teammate and roommate.
Simon and Wroblicky are the only two freshman on the team. While they are teammates on the court and good friends off the court, they couldn’t be more different.
“They are both really quiet guys and I know they’re well-liked,” said Head Coach Jeff Jones. “They are roommates and even though one guy is little, one guy is big, one guy is from the Midwest and one is from [Los Angeles], something about it works.”
In the Eagles’ first game of the season on Friday against Saint Francis University, Wroblicky made his AU debut, coming off the bench in the second half. In his seven minutes, Wroblicky contributed two rebounds. Meanwhile, Simon has been recovering from an ankle injury and did not see any playing time.
Jones said that Simon is almost fully recovered from the injury and isn’t feeling any lingering effects.
Simon comes to American from St. Joseph’s High School in Westchester, Ill. He matched his on-court achievements with great progress in the classroom, posting a 4.54 GPA.
Simon’s on-court record is as impressive as his off-court résumé. As a senior Simon averaged 13.6 points, 3.6 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game for his team. He helped his team to a regional championship in 2009 and 2010. The 2009 run included an appearance in the East Suburban Catholic Championship. Simon played in numerous games, including the Chicago High School Classic All-Star game. He received recognition for his outstanding play by being selected to the AP Second Team All-State his senior year.
“With Wayne, he has a feel for a game, he has some stuff to his game,” Jones said of his freshman guard. “He can handle the ball, he can get it to where he has to be. He is crafty and knows how to penetrate the defense.”
Coming out of high school, ESPN.com described Simon as a quick, athletic and intelligent guard with good shooting range. But perhaps his best asset is his long arms, which allow him to guard bigger defenders and deflect passes.
“I would say my ability to penetrate the defense is my best skill,” Simon said. “Because I have long arms I’m good at defense and deflecting passes. I try to model my game after Chris Paul, Derrick Rose and some of the other good guards in the league.”
Wroblicky played high school ball at Loyola High School in Los Angeles. He was part of a Loyola team that had back-to-back appearances in the California State Championship tournament with a showing in the semifinals in 2009.
“I like my ability to rebound, block shots and finish around the basket,” Wroblicky said. “I try to model my game after a fundamentally sound player like Chris Kaman.”
Wroblicky was described by ESPN.com as “one of the most intriguing sleepers on the West Coast.” He comes to the Eagles with a good frame and room to strengthen and grow. Wroblicky has also been noted as a two-way player who possesses good defensive skills with the ability to be a great shot blocker. He also has very soft hands, making him an excellent rebounder.
“Tony has a knack for the game and some good instincts,” Jones said. “His size and athleticism let him move well for someone his size. He has good hands and he is not afraid of contact. He gets the ball off of rebounds and he puts the ball in the basket.”
The Eagles have a veteran team with high expectations. Given the Eagles’ situation, it’s unlikely either freshman will see many starts this season, but that doesn’t mean that they won’t be making contributions.
“If Wayne keeps making improvements and continues to impress, he can compete for some minutes at point guard,” Jones said. “Tony is going to be the first big man off the bench, most likely being (Stephen) Lumpkins’ backup for the foreseeable future.”
Despite not being starters, both players know that they are on a great team, and with hard work they will see more playing time and help the team succeed.
sports@theeagleonline.com
