ACCOLADES AND HONORS
Coach Steve Platt calls Doug Sheckler one of the finest basketball players he has ever coached. Other Coaches in the MCC would likely agree with that assessment.
In fact, at the end of the 2007-08 season, the MCC Coaches not only put Doug on the All-MCC First Team, they voted him the MCC Player of the Year!
Doug has been named to an All-MCC Team each of his four years at Huntington. He was the MCC Player of the Week twice this season and the NAIA National Player of the Week near the end of January. He was an NAIA First-Team All-American this year, the 2007 Hall of Fame MVP, and received the NAIA Tournament Hustle Award in 2006.
Doug was like a player-coach on the floor and with a lot of young players, he took his senior leadership to heart. Not only was his versatility a huge asset for HU, but he single-handedly carried the team at times.
THE HUNTINGTON DECISION
Sheckler had several college options after graduating from Columbia City High School. As a 2004 Indiana All-Star, a First Team All-State selection and a Top 40 player, Doug even had offers from NCAA D1 schools.
While it’s tempting for a high school player to be drawn to the allure of major college sports, Doug had his head on straight and chose Huntington for all the right reasons.
He says he decided on Huntington not only because it was a great school, but it had a great basketball program, a great Coach, and provided the right college atmosphere.
DOUG'S SENIOR YEAR
Doug had a very proficient senior year. He averaged 18.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.1 steals a game.
He shot 54% from the field, 39% from three-point range, and 74% from the free throw line. He scored 20 or more points in 14 games, including season highs of 30 points versus Bethel, 14 rebounds versus Taylor and 6 blocks at Shawnee State.
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Sheckler also had a season high of 7 assists versus Kuyper College in the Hall of Fame Tournament game and was perfect at the free throw line in 9 games this season.
Doug led Huntington in several categories, including scoring (582 points), field goals (199), field goal percentage (53.6%), three-point field goal percentage (38.8%), blocks (45), defensive rebounds (163), and best assist/turnover ratio (1.67).
Sheckler finished #3 in the MCC in double doubles, blocks and defensive rebounds per game; he was #4 in the MCC in scoring.
DOUG'S FOUR-YEAR CAREER
During his four-year career, Doug never shot less than 50% from the field in any season. He scored 1,732 points in his four years to rank #13 on the all-time scoring list at HU. He also averaged 13.6 points a game over four years, ranking #22 at HU.
Among his career highs were 34 points in the Fort Wayne Memorial Coliseum versus IPFW last season (likely why IPFW refused to schedule Huntington this year). He also had a high of 14 free throws in that game.
He had a career high of 14 rebounds versus Taylor, a high of 7 assists versus Kuyper, 6 blocks in a win at Shawnee State and 5 steals in a game versus Taylor.
And who can forget the 6 three-pointers he drained against Indiana Wesleyan last year to win the MCC Tournament Championship.
In his four years, Doug not only scored 1,732 points, he also had 650 rebounds, 238 assists, 190 blocks and 139 steals. He made 70 three-point shots and made 310 free throws in his four-year career.
AN OUTSTANDING FUTURE
No doubt, Doug Sheckler will continue to excel in his chosen field of teaching. While the details of his future are not known yet, we hope he ends up near by.
We will always remember Doug for his quick smile and the genuine interest he has in others. His students will remember him for the same reasons.
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Doug Sheckler
#11 - Doug Sheckler
Doug Sheckler
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