When you get him on the court and driving toward the basket, however, few are better than he is. And that’s the reason he was selected to the 2015 Texas Association of Basketball Coaches All-Region basketball team.
“It’s an honor for me to be chosen for such an honor, being that I’m a junior in the Valley,” Bradford said.
With Bradford being a player of few words, South head coach Brian Molina knows he’s got a humble player.
“I’ve watched Luke grow in the last year both offensively and defensively as a player. He works hard every day and let’s all the skill and work do all the talking; that’s the kind of player I want,” Molina said.
“He’s a leader. He doesn’t realize he’s a leader, but he’s a leader because of his actions.”
Bradford is as humble as he is quiet.
For instance, Bradford is one of only two Rio Grande Valley players to make the 20-man Region IV-6A team, joining McAllen guard Joan Lopez.
Also, he averaged 18.1 points, 13.2 rebounds and 2.1 steals, as he helped lead the Hawks to a share of the 32-6A district crown and a pair of playoff wins this past season.
Still, receiving an accolade wasn’t expected for him since basketball is a team sport. Individual accomplishments are afterthoughts as far as he’s concerned and it’s all about what he can do for his team next season.
“It really is a team effort. I don’t think about the awards and accolades. I really am always stone-faced and I just put my head down and go,” Bradford said. “My game has improved, but I’m still growing. I just want to get bigger and stronger because we have a lot of guys coming back for next year. We should be a good team.”
Going forward, Bradford will be “the guy” for South next season and Molina wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Luke exemplifies what a team player is. He is not interested in any individual accolades just as long as the team wins,” Molina added. “ If we win he’s happy and if we don’t he works harder the next time we come out. He’ll be the focal point when teams play against us. He’s working on his game and he’s spending time in the weight room.
“Luke has goals for his team and himself, so hopefully he can lead us to where we want to be next year.”