Wauconda’s Cayden Mudd had a routine during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.
Mudd’s father is a pastor, and his church has a gym. So Mudd, an eighth grader in spring 2020, went to the church to shoot between remote learning sessions.
“It was an everyday thing during quarantine,” he said. “I had a schedule where I did school until my breaks. I would go with my parents to church, get shots in, and then go to school, and then get more shots in.”
It was time well spent. Mudd, a sophomore guard, is shooting 43.1% from 3-point range as the sixth man for Wauconda (19-3, 10-1), which leads the Northern Lake County Conference.
Mudd has made 28 of 65 shots from beyond the arc and is averaging 7.0 points, 1.9 assists and 1.7 steals.
He said the extra practice time in eighth grade developed not only his shooting touch but also his confidence.
“Once you see it going in, you’re going to want to keep shooting it,” Mudd said. “Getting it to fall is a confidence thing, and I keep shooting it, and I hope it keeps going in.”
Shooting, especially from 3-point distance, is a mind game, he said. If Mudd’s shots aren’t falling, he doesn’t get rattled. The stroke always returns.
Wauconda coach Scott Luetschwager promoted Mudd to the varsity at the beginning of the abbreviated season last year, and the freshman played behind senior point guard Benji Chung.
Mudd said that experience was invaluable in his transition to high school basketball.
“When I got in as a freshman, the game was more fast for me,” he said. “Benji taught me how to slow down the game. … If you’re taking the ball up and they are on you, he showed me ways you can take the attention off yourself.”
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Luetschwager said it made sense to bring up Mudd, who was promoted with freshman Braeden Carlsen, a starter this season. Luetschwager knew Mudd because he had been coming to Wauconda’s summer basketball camps for years.
Watching Mudd grow into a solid player over that time made the decision easy, Luetschwager said.
“It was the day before the season started last year,” Luetschwager said. “We were going through our roster, and with COVID, we were starting late, and we didn’t know what we had as a backup point guard. Might as well use this as time to get ready for next year.”
Mudd remembers that period as a mix of exhilaration and nerves. He wanted to play on the varsity team, of course, but he knew he would have to go to great lengths to prove he belonged.
Having senior starters Griffin Daun, Nick Brinias, Justin Drobnik and Garrison Carter this season has allowed Mudd to focus on his game while observing the Bulldogs’ established leaders.
“I love this role because our starting five are great, and I feel like I can provide the intensity and energy,” he said. “If it’s defense or shots, I feel like I can provide it. … I can depend on every single one of my guys, and I have full trust in everything that happens on the floor.”
Gregg Voss is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.