MARTENSDALE, Ia. — Brady Gavin towers over opponents to grab rebounds and hit shots at a state-leading pace.
Go back two years, though, and it looked liked he'd never get off the bench.
The Martensdale-St. Marys senior, who stands 6-foot-8 now, played one game in his first two years because of injuries. He had three knee injuries; when he reached the court as a sophomore, he broke his foot.
Forget the eye-catching statistics. The only thing Gavin seemed to lead the team in was time spent on crutches.
"I was out for so long," Gavin said. "It made me push myself to a skill level beyond where I was."
Thankfully for him, and his 11-4 team, he's finally tapping his potential. He's leading the state in rebounding (16.4 a game) and shooting percentage for players with 50 or more attempts (80.7 percent) and is atop Class 1A with an average of 26.5 points.
Gavin seemed destined to play basketball, even when his body wasn't cooperating.
His parents, Brent and Jill (Uken) Gavin, both played college ball. Dad was at Simpson, his mom at Drake.
It's a tall family gene pool, too. Brent is 6-3, Jill 6-5, and sophomore brother Isaac is 6-6 and growing.
His parents put him on the path to be an athlete.
"They taught me to be a good sport, to always be coachable, to be respectful, work hard and give it 100 (percent) effort," Gavin said.
They also helped foster a home that encouraged the boys to play. Sometimes, they had to step in when the brothers battled.
"We definitely like to compete against each other in sports," Gavin said.
The bent and wobbly hoop (from dunking) in the family's driveway is testament to games played at an acreage near St. Marys.
Brent coached Brady in youth football, basketball and baseball. He and Jill also encouraged Brady that responsibility came with playing sports.
Brady looked up to older athletes, like those who played baseball on the high school's teams that won three straight state titles (2010-12) and 88 consecutive games.
"It just makes me feel good, because I'm being a role model," Gavin said. "It definitely makes me think about what I'm doing. "t makes me double-think everything, so I don't get myself in trouble."
Basketball is the present. Baseball is the future.
Here, too, Gavin's been winning the numbers game. He led the state last summer with 75 hits and was second in RBI with 67. He led Martensdale-St. Marys to a state runner-up finish in 1A.
His hitting is impressive. But he's also a feared pitcher.
Hurling a 90-mph fastball, like he did in fall baseball, will intimidate batters.
It's his favorite pitch to throw.
"I know it's the toughest one to hit," Gavin said.
Gavin will play baseball in college. He's signed with the University of Central Missouri.
His parents have a deep connection to basketball, but there's also baseball in the family.
His cousin, Grant Gavin, is a pitcher in the Kansas City Royals' minor league system. Grant also played at Central Missouri.
Brady plays pitcher and first base.
He's in a tradition-rich high school baseball community. Martensdale-St. Marys has won four state championships.
His team went to state in 2014 and 2015, as well as last year.
Even as he dominates in basketball this season, he has no question about where his athletic passion resides.
"I'd much rather play baseball," Gavin said.
Brady Gavin dislocated his knee twice, had a torn meniscus and fractured a foot during his first two seasons of high school basketball.
With every injury, he contemplated that his career could end.
"I always wondered if it was going to be worse," Gavin said.
He didn't leave the game. He found a path to the weight room.
Gavin added strength to his slender frame. He'd show up at 6 a.m. in the summer, just to work out.
By his junior year, he outmuscled basketball foes. Gavin averaged 22 points and 13 rebounds a game.
Basketball coach Joe Franey said Gavin's work ethic carried him to the top.
"He goes full-speed in practice, harder than anybody," Franey said.
The big numbers grew even bigger this season.
He currently averages 16.4 rebounds a game, nearly two more than his nearest competition, Iowa recruit Joe Wieskamp of Muscatine (14.5). His scoring average of 26.5 points is fifth overall in the state.
"The numbers are there," Franey said. "He knows, when to cut, where to cut, when to help."
It's interesting to contemplate just how good he'd be if he hadn't missed two seasons.
Potential.
"I don't think he's even reached it," Franey said.
Gavin is tall, strong and a quick leaper. He knows to work his way between an opponent and the basket to grab rebounds.
The numbers impress. But being No. 1 in baseball's still the future for him.
"I do want to go pro," Gavin said. "Hopefully, someday, I'll do it."