FORT MYERS — Zach Hodskins won’t be the Most Valuable Player of the Culligan City of Palms Classic. He’s not going to make the all-tournament team, and he might leave Southwest Florida in the biggest slump of his career.
That’s OK with Hodskins, whose Alpharetta (Ga.)-Milton team is playing in the prestigious high school basketball tournament at Bishop Verot. After all, Hodskins doesn’t play for points. He’s not concerned with records or statistics.
Hodskins plays for people like the young boy he met a few weeks ago. Like Hodskins, the boy was born without part of his arm. The youngster attended a Milton practice looking for inspiration from Hodskins, who has become a national sensation because of his play despite his physical deformity.
“I feel like God put me here to help kids with disabilities through basketball,” Hodskins said. “It’s my way of reaching out to them.”
Hodskins became a star this summer when video of him draining 3-pointers despite missing a hand went viral on the Internet. The highlights made it onto ESPN, and Hodskins earned a preferred walk-on offer from Florida thanks to the recognition.
When Milton was added to the City of Palms, everyone clamored to see the one-handed wonder.
Whether it’s the pressure of his newfound fame or just a cold spell, Hodskins hasn’t lived up to the hype. He managed 16 points on 6-of-25 shooting as Milton went 2-2 at City of Palms.
The tournament continued a slow start to his senior season. Hodskins came to Fort Myers averaging less than seven points a game, half of what he averaged last season. He shot 60 percent on 3-pointers last year but is 11-of-58 from deep (19 percent) this season.
Again, that’s OK with Hodskins. He’s playing for more than himself.
“It’s amazing to get to inspire others,” Hodskins said. “It’s what I’ve always wanted to do. I’ve known since I was a freshman I wanted to help kids.”
MORE THAN A NOVELTY
Hodskins was around second grade when he first picked up a basketball. His father, Bob, a former college baseball player, got him into the sport.
It took Hodskins a while to learn the game, but no more than anyone playing a sport for the first time. Hodskins was born without the lower part of his left arm, so he never had to adjust to life with one hand — that’s just who he was.
Hodskins became a catch-and-shoot specialist. Last season he averaged four 3-pointers a game for Milton.
“I’ve coached kids that were too small or too slow,” said Matt Kramer, in his first year as the Eagles head coach. “His thing he’s had to overcome, and every basketball player has one, is just a really extraordinary one. That’s kind of the way I try to put it in perspective because he wants to be treated like everyone else.”
Before he made SportsCenter, Hodskins would get looks of amazement when he walked into a gym for warm-ups. Now that people know who he is, he still gets stares as people want to see him perform.
Once the games start, Hodskins blends in with the other nine players on the court. He mostly hangs out around the perimeter on offense, but he plays tenacious defense, rebounds, and can drive when necessary.
“I knew I was playing against a guy that I heard about on the news. I had a lot of respect,” said Montverde Academy senior Brendan Boyle, whose team beat Milton 77-42. “When I was guarding him, it felt like I was playing against a regular player. On the moral side, I know that’s what he wants.”
In the second quarter of Milton’s 67-39 win over Bishop Verot in the first round, Hodskins flashed his full set of skills. He grabbed a defensive rebound and raced the ball up court. He drilled through defenders and even took the ball behind his back at half-court.
Hodskins wove through the lane on the other end and went to the rim. He missed the layup, but that had more to do with Bishop Verot’s 6-foot-8 Ricky Doyle than Hodskins’ missing hand.
“He’s a great player,” said Bishop Verot freshman Austin Mosbach, who saw Hodskins’ YouTube video before the game. “His defense is great. He’s scrappy. His jump shot is smooth. Once he gets the ball, it’s hard to guard him.”
Despite his struggles, Hodskins had his own City of Palms moment in Friday’s consolation round. He drilled a deep 3-pointer to tie the game against Houston-Yates with three seconds left. It didn’t matter in the end — Yates’ Milton Jackson banked a shot in at the buzzer to win the game 90-88.
As Hodskins works to get into a rhythm offensively, he’s made up for his shooting slump on the other end of the court.
“Right now he’s not been shooting the ball as well as he can — and I think that will change — but he plays his butt off defensively,” Kramer said. “He really gets after it. When I’m looking for an energy lift, he’s the guy I put on the floor. That’s a huge compliment as a player regardless of disability.”
ALL THE ATTENTION
Hodskins has some impressive teammates. Mo Lewis is a 6-foot-6 forward committed to Navy. His younger brother, Chris, is a 6-8 sophomore ranked among the best players in the Class of 2016. They are the sons of former NFL linebacker Mo Lewis, who played 13 seasons with the New York Jets. On any other team, the Lewis brothers would be stars. At Milton, they take a back seat to Hodskins, who doesn’t start.
The Eagles say they aren’t bothered by the attention Hodskins gets, even if it overshadows the rest of the team.
“It doesn’t faze us at all,” Mo Lewis said. “Just keep playing basketball. That’s what is on our mind.
“(Hodskins) is like a regular player, like us. When you meet him, you forget he only has one arm. He is a regular teammate to us.”
Kramer admits the international attention — he’s received requests for Hodskins from England and France — can be a distraction. However, it’s one the team and the player are used to dealing with.
Just how often does Kramer get asked about Hodskins?
“Shoot, every 25 minutes,” the coach said. “People behind the bench ask me about him when I’m out there coaching. But it’s been positive because he’s had such a great effect.”
Not all the attention has been positive. Hodskins often is the target of opposing student sections, even a few opposing players, who taunt him about his disability.
When he was younger, Hodskins said he didn’t like to go out in public because of his arm. Now he’s used to the looks, and the jeers from the stands add extra motivation.
“Some kids say words to me just to get me out of my game when I’m hitting my shot,” Hodskins said. “I’ve learned to block it out. I get it all the time. I think it’s funny. I just go out there and hit more shots to shut ‘em up.”
Hodskins had offers to play at Division II and Division III colleges. He chose Florida, even though he’ll have to pay his own tuition, so he can continue his mission of inspiration.
“My major goal was to play somewhere bigger, to get on the main stage where I can show who I am and help kids around the world,” Hodskins said. “Hopefully in a couple of years I can develop into the player I want to be and contribute for Florida.”