GRANITE CITY - Maurion Baker, a senior who plays for the boys basketball team at Granite City High School, enjoyed a successful junior season in 2019-20 for the Warriors, as in 16 games, Baker averaged 2.2. points and 1.5 rebounds-per-game, while dishing out six assists and having six steals during the season. He shot 76.2 percent from the field, with no three-point attempts, and also shot 60 percent from the free throw line.
Baker's defense proved invaluable to Granite in the most recent campaign, while being one of the team's most hardest workers.
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For his efforts and accomplishments on the court last season, Baker has been selected as the Warriors' Riverbender.com male Athlete of the Month for January, 2021.
Baker, who plays for head coach Gerard Moore, is a team player who works hard to improve himself every day in practice.
"I am a leader, I put my team first, and I have shown a lot of progress over the years," Baker said.
Baker thanked both his family, his coaches and his mentors for helping him succeed on the court.
"I would like to thank my family, my coaches and my mentors that have helped me become the player and person I am today," Baker said, "but I would like to thank my mom the most. She is really the key to my success."
Baker has played organized basketball since his middle school days, and enjoys the competitive aspect of the sport.
"I have been playing organized basketball since the seventh grade," Baker said, "and I have been on varsity since my freshman year. The thing I like most about basketball is the competitive nature of the sport."
Playing for the Warriors has helped Baker become a more confident person, and he carries that both on and off the court.
"As I grew as a basketball player, I gained more confidence on the court," Baker said, "and that led to me being more confident in myself off the court."
In his spare time, Baker like to play basketball with his friends along with playing video games, and is a very successful student in the classroom, carrying a 3.9-grade point average. He also played on the Granite baseball team in his freshman and sophomore years, but gave up baseball to concentrate exclusively on basketball.
Baker also hopes to play basketball in college, but hasn't yet decided on what school he'll go to. He is highly interested in majoring in business, but hasn't yet made a final decision. And his work ethic and desire to become a better player are most important to him.
"I am a person who always wants to work and get better at my craft," Baker said, "and I also like helping others."
Riverbender.com's Athlete of the Month program is made possible by the generosity of our sponsors and the cooperation of our area high schools. This is a great honor and one to be very proud of. Please join us in congratulating this young athlete. We at Riverbender.com wish you continued success in your future!
