Fuehrmeyer dishes it out
Cottleville native earns starting role at Missouri State
Whether it's taking a charge, knocking down a wide-open three, or dishing out assists, Justin Fuehrmeyer plays the game of basketball one way - all out.
That tenacious style of basketball has the 6-foot guard making the most of his college hoops experience. After setting a school record for assists at Francis Howell Central, Fuehrmeyer rebounded from an ankle injury as a freshman to become Missouri State's starting point guard two years later."I just came everyday to practice and worked hard," Fuehrmeyer said. "I tried to keep my attitude up. Just being surrounded by great teammates everyday and playing hard in practice - it pays off."
Missouri State coach Barry Hinson said the baby-faced Fuehrmeyer doesn't look like much of an athlete, but he's proud of the progress his sophomore point guard has made.
"You couldn't pick Justin out of a sixth-grade lineup," said Hinson who was fired by the University on Sunday. "Put him in a class of sixth graders and say, 'Which one is a Division I basketball player?' But he has really developed into the point guard I thought he would be for us."
After seeing an average of just seven minutes in 26 games last year as a redshirt freshman, Fuehrmeyer worked himself into the starting lineup this year. He started 29 of the Bears' 33 games, but Hinson said it probably should have been more. Alluding to the season opening loss at Toledo, when the Bears committed a season-worst 36 turnovers, Hinson said he should have had Fuehrmeyer in the lineup from the start.
"That was good coaching," Hinson joked. "I had to get him immediately into the lineup. The little peckerwood's been pretty good."
A three-year starter at Howell Central, Fuehrmeyer set school records for career free throws, career assists and single-season assists. Even after receiving multiple all-everything selections, Fuehrmeyer still didn't consider himself a Division I college prospect.
"I didn't really think too much about it then," Fuehrmeyer said. "I always had goals to play in college, but just didn't know what level. I just kept working as hard as I could. Things worked out for me."
With Fuehrmeyer at the point, the Bears averaged just 14 turnovers per game the rest of the way. Fuehrmeyer had an assist-to-turnover ratio better than 2-1 and led the team with more than four assists per game. While he may be asked to score more in the future, the business major said he'd much rather help his teammates crack the cylinder.
"Definitely getting an assist I enjoy better," Fuehrmeyer said. "It's what I've been doing my whole life. I have the ability to see the floor. That's what I pride myself in - getting my teammates their shots. Some people like scoring, but I like setting up other people better."
Fuehrmeyer scored nine points and had three assists in Missouri State's 69-46 win over Evansville in the opening round of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament at Scottrade Center Thursday. He followed that up with four assists and six points in the season-ending loss to Illinois State in the quarterfinals.
"Just getting back to St. Louis, period, after being in Springfield for so long, feels good," Fuehrmeyer said. "You come here and it's a great atmosphere, you've got friends and family coming to support you. That means a lot."
As Fuehrmeyer and the Bears say goodbye to their five seniors, they also bid farewell to Hinson, who was fired following a 17-16 record. Despite winning 22 games each of the last two seasons, the Bears failed to make the NCAA Tournament in Hinson's nine-year tenure. Fuehrmeyer said moving forward will be difficult, but the focus has to be on improvement.
"I just want to keep getting better, and want everybody on the team to get better," Fuehrmeyer said. "We just want to do better than the year before."
Fuehrmeyer knows that in his fourth year in the program and with three starters graduating, he'll be looked at to lead the team. Added responsibility isn't something that appears to phase the 21-year-old.
"When you get into positions where people say there's going to be more pressure on you," Fuehrmeyer said, "you just have to work hard and things will take care of themselves."
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