Patrick Conroy was thrown into the fire as a freshman varsity shooting guard last year. He started half the games for his Marin Catholic Wildcats of the Marin County Athletic League that went 12-16 with a first round playoff loss to Healdsburg 57-48. Conroy averaged 10.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2 assists.
At 6-foot-2 and 170 pounds, Conroy considers himself to be a slasher and finesse player because he goes hard after offensive rebounds while also pulls up for the open 3-point shot. Hence, his teammates call him Pistol Pat for his perimeter accuracy. Physically, Conroy can run 5.00 seconds in the 40 yard dash, can bench press 145 pounds, squat 205 pounds, and has a vertical of 26 inches. He admits that he is not the fastest or quickest player out there but he can shoot well and plays smart. As a result, he compares himself to former UCLA Bruin Jason Kapono.
Conroy considers his best skill to be his shooting in transition. During the offseason, he works tirelessly on his ball handling skills as he sometimes also takes over as the point guard. Conroy has been playing basketball since 1st grade and plays for his Lakeshow 15 club team.
Lakeshow 15 Coach Stefen Tappin says, "Patrick's strength is his intelligence. He's a guard who really understands the game and makes smart basketball plays. His shooting ability is definitely another strength of his. He can hit the pull up and his range extends out a couple feet outside the three. Having Patrick on the court is almost like having a coach on the court. He can play several different spots, and really understand the team's offense. He can run the point, play the two guard, or even a small forward spot. I also trust him down the stretch. I know he will make good decisions and not turn the ball over. I also know he will knock down his free throws."
Conroy's individual goal this year is to average 15 points and at least 6 rebounds. His team goal is to win the league title. He is also a pitcher in baseball for his Wildcats and was able to throw a no hitter during his freshman year. During this past summer, he hurt his ankle to cause him to miss over nine weeks of game time. However, that injury did not slow down as Conroy has averaged 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists in this early season as well as 22 points in the team's opener.
The recruiting process is early for this sophomore. Conroy will be looking for a good program with good coaches who have a more up and down style of play. Conroy wants to be in a college town atmosphere. He wants to major in Business as best subject is English.
Coach Tappin says, "I think Patrick can make a nice college player. He needs to get a little bigger and stronger, but his understanding of the game is hard to find in kids these days. Coaches always need players who can shot like Patrick, and he should fit right in on a NCAA team. Patrick has a 3.6 GPA, and its hard to find a nicer kid them him. He's one of the most coachable kids I've ever had. He lead our Lakeshow 15's team to a 37 and 7 record and a Rumble in the Bay tournament championship (16 under), where he was named MVP of the tournament."
Marin Catholic Coach Mike Saia, "Patrick goes to the basket well. He is a very smart, instinctive offensive rebounder. He has great form on his shot and is an excellent outside shooter. He is pretty quiet, yet sure of himself. Even though only a sophomore, he has the respect of his teammates. He needs to get stronger, quicker, and he needs to be more aggressive in going on the floor and attacking the game. Some players need to let the game come to them, but Patrick needs to go after the game. The tools are there for him to play at the next level, and I know he puts in the work."
During his free time, Conroy goes snowboarding. Despite this cold winter hobby, Pistol Pat will go out blazing from the 3-point line for his Wildcats in Kentfield.
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