Dylan Phair has played for four basketball programs in six years, but counts each experience as a positive.
Whether it’s coaching he’s received, friends he’s met or maturity he’s gained, Phair, a senior guard at Indiana Tech, has embraced every step of his evolvement both as a person and basketball player.
After playing at Franklin as a high school junior (2013-14), Phair transferred to Indian Creek for his senior year. He then played two seasons of junior college hoops at Ancilla College in Plymouth, Indiana, and is now in his second season with the Warriors, an NAIA Division II program.
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“It’s definitely been a roller coaster, I would say, but a good roller coaster,” Phair said. “My first year at Ancilla I wasn’t in the biggest role. I was asked to make all the hustle plays. My second year it really jumped to me being more aggressive on the offensive side.
“I knew what I was capable of.”
Phair had started Indiana Tech’s first 17 games entering Wednesday night’s home game against Aquinas, averaging 14.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists. He’s the squad’s second-best 3-point threat, having knocked down 36 of his 83 attempts.
Phair, who learned toughness and the importance of preparation under former Franklin coach Jerry Bomholt, work ethic playing for Derek Perry at Indian Creek and defense at Ancilla under former coach Aaron Butcher, is now a fearless long-range threat for the Warriors.
“(Indiana Tech coach Ted) Albert gives me offensive freedom. He tells me to play my game,” Phair said. “Even if I miss six or seven shots in a row, he wants me to keep shooting.”
Phair happily obliges, as evidenced by a scenario that played out earlier this season. After hitting only 5 of 21 shots against Mt. Vernon Nazarene and Bethel, Phair converted all but one of his attempts — including all four 3-point tries — on his way to 29 points against St. Francis.
On Christmas Eve, Phair garnered Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Player of the Week for the second time in his career after averaging 23 points and 2.5 assists in games against eighth-ranked Southeastern and St. Thomas.
Phair started all 34 games for the Warriors as a junior, earning first team all-conference honors after averaging 13.7 points and three boards. He’s excelled academically through the stages of his college career, being named Ancilla’s male scholar-athlete of the year as a sophomore and maintaining a 3.7 grade-point average at Indiana Tech.
He will graduate this spring with a degree in business administration with a concentration on entrepreneurship.
Albert, who guided Indiana Tech to a 27-7 record and the second round of the NAIA Division II national championships in his debut season a year ago, admires Phair for the kind of player and leader he’s become.
“Certainly it’s how Dylan carries himself off the court. A character young man who is in the gym every day doing the right things,” Albert said. “We have guys here who go along with what being a student-athlete means.
“Dylan is one of those guys who leads by example in the classroom, too. You can tell it means something to him.”
