Lake Zurich senior forward Connor Strauss reintroduced himself last week.
Known for his defense in the past, the 6-foot-4 Strauss took a pass on a backdoor cut and threw down a dunk during a game against Loyola.
“He bounces a little differently than most guys, and you can’t teach that,” Lake Zurich coach Terry Coughlin said.
Strauss’ dunk came one day after he scored a career-high 17 points during the Bears’ season-opening win against 2024 Class 4A state semifinalist New Trier.
“We’ve talked with him about having to hunt for your shot a little bit and be confident in yourself,” Coughlin said. “He made a couple of moves in that game where you could see how high his ceiling is offensively.”
Strauss’ 12-foot fadeaway jumper late in the game particularly impressed Coughlin.
“There’s not a selfish bone in his body, but plays like that show that he’s going to be one of the guys we can depend on to score,” Coughlin said.
Strauss, who was averaging 9.0 points and 5.0 rebounds through four games for the Bears (2-2), isn’t surprised to be doing more offensively. He had been thinking about it since the end of last season.
“I was talking with some of the other guys after the season, and one of the things discussed is how people would have to step up,” Strauss said. “Last year, I was more of a defender. This year, I’ll be doing that and all of the little things and a lot more on offense, which is very exciting.”
Strauss’ offensive contributions became even more important to Lake Zurich after standout 6-8 senior center Anton Strelnikov announced in September that he was leaving the school to attend La Lumiere in Indiana.
Strauss was front and center in how the Bears moved forward.
“During the summer, we had an expectation of what things would look like, so when everything happened, it was very hard, and we had to adjust,” he said. “But we learned that we had to lean on each other and only worry about who’s in the gym and who’s wearing the Lake Zurich logo.”
Strauss’ teammates, who picked him as a team captain, are leaning on him.
“He’s what makes us go because he brings it on offense and defense every trip,” Lake Zurich junior guard Kain Kretschmar said. “He’s always making sure we’re working hard and we’re on it, and he’s a giant dude who can drive on anyone. When he has an iso, we’re going to him.”
Strauss, who placed 11th in the triple jump at the Class 3A state meet in the spring, has the athletic ability to seek out matchups that give him an advantage. He handles the ball well enough to be comfortable on the perimeter, and he can also back defenders into the lane, where he can finish at the rim or kick the ball outside for an open jumper.
“We take pride in this program in our defense, and I’ve always been willing to do the dirty work,” he said. “Doing more on offense, I don’t think there’s a single player in the world who would be bummed about that.
“But there’s assuming the role, and then there’s the affirmation of doing it.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.