Episcopal Academy’s Conner Delaney is Main Line Boys Athlete of the Week
The senior guard has averaged more than 15 points per game for the Churchmen (7-4 as of Dec. 26), and was selected to the all-tournament team at the recent Hill School Tournament. Last winter, he was selected first team All-InterAc and first team All-Main Line. He has committed to playing basketball next winter for Johns Hopkins University.
Q: What do you think has been the highlight of EA’s season to date?
A: I think the highlight of our season so far was winning the first game of the Hill School Tournament. We beat Kiski Prep in a close game, and it was the first time we had won the first round game in a few years. It was great to get out of that game with a win and be able to play better competition in the winner’s bracket.
Q: What do you think has been the key to your prolific recent scoring?
A: I think the key to [my] scoring rise was the added responsibility I have felt since Nick Alikakos went down. His impact for our team in terms of scoring is hard to replace, and as his co-captain I felt like I had to step up my game by making smart decisions and making things happen on the court, whether it be drawing more attention and kicking to shooters, or scoring the ball myself. I’m just trying to take what the defense gives me, and recently I’ve been able to use my other teammates to find good shots.
Q: What attracted you to Johns Hopkins?
A: Definitely the academic reputation of Hopkins made it a place I wanted to look at for college. My mom took me down my sophomore year and I liked the campus, but when it became an option for me to play basketball after de-committing from Villanova, I began to realize that this could become my home for the next four years. Coach Nelson runs a great program there and the guys on the team are similar to me, and I felt like I could really see myself being successful at Hopkins.
Q: What (in your opinion) has been the most memorable moment of your EA basketball career – can you share it with us?
A: The most memorable moment for me so far in my high school basketball career was the game against Haverford School my sophomore year. We were playing in their gym, and I wasn’t having the greatest game. We were down by one points with 14 seconds left and I was throwing the ball in. The ball eventually got slipped across to Mike Hinckley who saw me in the corner open and he gave me a perfect touch pass. I knocked down the three with five seconds left and we went on to win the game. Just being able to be a part of a great team win was amazing, and then to hit the game winning shot just added to the moment.
Q: You wear No. 10 for EA. Is there a reason you picked that number?
A: I wear No. 10 because my dad wore No. 10 when he played at Cardinal O’Hara. He has been a big influence to me in my love for basketball. He was my coach from the time I was 3, through eighth grade CYO, and he always inspires me to become better, both on the court and as a person.
Q: Who are your favorite basketball players?
A: My favorite players to watch are Klay Thompson and Devin Booker. I like watching the way they work when they are off the ball, and how they are able to score the ball in many different ways.
Q: Who have been your biggest basketball mentors, and what was the important thing each of them taught you?
A: My basketball mentors to this point have been my dad and [EA] Coach [Craig] Conlin. They have both taught me to trust myself and play within myself.
Q: What do you think you’d like to major in at Johns Hopkins? Is there a career path that particularly interests you at the present time?
A: At Hopkins, I am thinking about studying something within the field of Engineering with a business minor. There are so many options there to choose from, so if I don’t like what I am doing, I can always change it up. I want to go back and get my MBA after college.
Q: What extracurricular activities are you involved in at EA other than basketball and lacrosse?
A: I am involved with two student leadership groups at EA – Student Council and Esse Quam Videri. In both groups, we try and make the school a more inclusive community by bringing the upper school and the entire school closer together.
Fun facts – Conner Delaney
Favorite book: Priceless.
Favorite author – Mike Lupica.
Favorite TV show: Prison Break.
Favorite movie: Olympus Has Fallen.
Favorite athlete: Klay Thompson.
Favorite pre-game pump-up song: Blue Notes by Meek Mill.
Favorite team: Philadelphia Eagles or Sixers.
Favorite place to visit: Avalon, N.J.
Favorite pre-game meal: Peanut butter & jelly.
Person I most admire: “My Mom and Dad.”
Favorite color: Blue.
Birth date: June 21, 1998 in Christiana, Del.
Family members: parents Steve and Courtney, sister Riley (age 16), brother Will (13), sister Molly (11).
(To be selected as Main Line Boys Athlete of the Week, a student-athlete must first be nominated by his coach.)
