Athlete of the Week: Tripp-Delmont/Armour junior point guard Adam Fink's improved penetration key for Nighthawks

Tripp-Delmont/Armour’s Adam Fink had quite a three-day stretch last week.

Fink, a junior point guard for the Nighthawks, had 15 points and 14 assists in a win against Woonsocket on Thursday.

He followed that up with a 17-point, 9-assist performance in a win over Platte-Geddes on Friday.

Saturday, he posted 15 points — including the 1,000th of his career — and nine assists to help his team beat Menno.

For his efforts, Fink has been named The Daily Republic’s Athlete of the Week, an award voted on by the newspaper’s sports staff.

“I never really thought I’d ever get the points,” Fink said of scoring his 1,000th point. “My dad always keeps track of all our stats, but he never mentioned anything to me until this year. He said I was getting close, but I didn’t know how close until it happened.

“When I was a little kid, I watched other players get their 1,000th point, but I never really thought I’d have the chance.”

Fink has started at the point for TDA since the end of his eighth-grade year. Last season, he helped the Nighthawks to the Class B state tournament.

This year, along with Tyler Payer, Jared Hermanek, Cody Dozark and Josh Nichols, Fink has TDA ranked sixth in Class B in the most recent South Dakota Sportswriters Association poll, which was released Monday.

“Right now, what impresses me the most is that he’s raised his game and he is so much stronger than he’s been in the past,” TDA coach Burnell Glanzer said of Fink. “He’s doing a lot better job of penetrating and drawing defenders to him and making the available pass.”

Fink credits the play of his teammates for his improved play-making this season.

“I think I’m better at driving and dishing the ball this season than I have been before,” Fink said. “I’m more aware of where everybody is on the court and my teammates have finished so well this season.

“Those four guys can finish. That’s the biggest part; that’s why I’m getting all my assists.”

TDA is 8-1 so far this season with its only loss coming on the road against Class A’s second-ranked team, Viborg/Hurley.

The well-rounded Nighthawks are at Tyndall to take on Bon Homme tonight and are at Plankinton on Friday.

“It’s not going to just depend on Adam, but he’s going to lead us,” Glanzer said of his team’s chances heading into the second half of the season. “In Class B, when you have three legit go-to guys like we do, you can do some things.

“Hermanek is playing unbelievable right now. He moves without the ball as well as anybody we’ve had in a long time.”

Under Fink’s direction, TDA has averaged more than 61 points per game this season and has scored more than 70 points on five occasions.

“I’m happy with where we are,” he said. “I think we can play with any team in Class B.”

Tags: our towns, high school basketball, adam fink, burnell glanzer, sports, basketball, tripp, delmont, armour