Illinois Valley Times

Juggling excellence in two sports at the same time is business as usual for Brady Huebbe.

While Huebbe, a LaSalle-Peru High School grad, has spent this winter starting for the Illinois Valley Community College (IVCC) men's basketball team, he has been gearing up for his first baseball season at the school, as well.

“It's been ever since I was young, I've been playing those two sports, really — ever since I've been able to walk, throw, anything,” Huebbe told the Illinois Valley Times.

IVCC's Huebbe shining in basketball, getting ready for baseball | Courtesy of Shutterstock

This season, according to statistics on njcaa.org, Huebbe, a freshman guard for the Eagles, was 13th in National Junior College Athletic Association Division II with 74 three-pointers through Feb. 9. In his first 26 games of this season, Huebbe averaged 13.7 points, 2.3 assists and two rebounds per game, while hitting 39.3 on all shot attempts including a 40.9 success rate on three-pointers. He was a big reason why the Eagles got off to a 17-10 start this season.

Huebbe said the season was going well, and he felt he was bonding with his teammates.

“I think we're having a really good season, one of the best I've had in a while, and it's just a lot of fun,” he said.

The transition from high-school basketball to college hoops necessitated adding muscle. Huebbe said he has put on 15 to 18 pounds while at IVCC, which he said has helped a lot in adjusting to the tougher, faster style of play at the college level.

“I'd say high school was a lot slower and less physical,” he said. “You've really got to man up a little bit in college.”

Huebbe's workouts these days are not just focused on performing on the basketball floor, however.

Every week, Huebbe said, he has three to four throwing sessions -- he takes hitting practice about the same number of times -- in addition to working out and lifting weights each day. He also does baseball-oriented conditioning and movement.

Huebbe, who expects to be a pitcher and middle infielder for the Eagles, said he has no problems with doing two sports essentially at once.

“I've actually always done this, so I've got this down. I know how to manage my time,” he said.

Huebbe won't have much, if any, downtime between the two seasons. According to the baseball team's online schedule, the Eagles started play in the John A. Logan Classic Feb. 24-26 in Carterville before going on their spring trip March 9-15 to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Meanwhile, per the men's basketball team schedule, that squad's regular season ended Feb. 21, with postseason play starting March 2.

“Basically, whenever basketball ends, I'm going straight to baseball,” Huebbe said. “That's going to be about the time for Myrtle Beach for baseball, so I'll be going straight to that spring trip.”