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ST. PARIS — When he was in the third grade, Josh Schuler could already spin a basketball on his finger. It was a nifty skill for an 8-year-old well on his way to becoming a basketball junkie.

"That was my favorite trick; I thought I was cool," Schuler said. "I saw someone doing it when I was pretty young at home. I grabbed a ball and started doing it until I got good just so I could show off. Once you learn how, it's not that hard."

Apparently, nothing is difficult for Schuler when it comes to playing basketball.

The 2008 Springfield News-Sun All-Area Boys Basketball Player of the Year averaged 19.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.6 steals for the Falcons this season.

Schuler is always thinking about basketball — before school, after school, all summer.

"It's just a love for the game," he said. "I work hard. I'm in the gym early because I want to be the best I can be. I want to reach my full potential, and I think that's how I have to do it. I just put in the extra work. It helps me and it helps my team."

That extra work helped the 6-foot-2 junior refine his shooting touch. He connected on 46.5 percent of his shots from the field, 39.1 percent from behind the arc and 78.4 percent of his free throws.

"He understands how to score and how to get shots," Graham head coach Brook Cupps said, "but he takes such good shots, which is important to the way we play.

"Everybody that we played tried to take him away, or at least tried to limit him," Cupps continued. "He was very good at picking his times, not forcing shots and taking good shots."

Graham went 26-1 and didn't lose until the Division II state semifinals. A team doesn't advance to state on the back of one player, but Schuler shouldered more than his share of the load as the Falcons tore through the season.

It was the first state tournament appearance for the basketball program. Schuler averaged a team-high 18.1 points in seven tournament games.

"I think to start the year, no one honestly thought we were going to make it to state," Schuler said. "But we just worked harder than most teams, and we got there."

Schuler has scored 1,140 career points, No. 3 on the school's all-time list. He scored 32 points in one game twice in his career, including in a 79-71 win against Shawnee on Dec. 13, 2007.

Postseason selections are based on regular-season performance only.

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0366 or bplasters@coxohio.com.

ALL-AREA BOYS BASKETBALL PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

2007-08: Josh Schuler, Graham

2006-07: Adam Brown, Tecumseh and Derrick Hannon, Shawnee

2005-06: Myles Trempe, Graham

2004-05: Nate Miller, South and Matt Poole, Southeastern

2003-04: Isiah Carson, South

2002-03: Marcus Franck, Greenon

2001-02: Brian Cooper, Southeastern

2000-01: Elgrace Wilborn, South

1999-00: Ryan Rigel, Catholic Central

1998-99: Thomas Stephens, South

1997-98: Shadon Furlow, South

1996-97: Eric Thomas, North

1995-96: Jason Collier, Catholic Central

1994-95: John Carson, South

1993-94: Jayson Sims, Bellefontaine

1992-93: Scott Deas, North

1991-92: Aaron Smith, Shawnee

1990-91: Kevin Spriggs, Kenton Ridge

1989-90: Aaron Perry, Southeastern

1988-89: Maurice Houston, Catholic Central

1987-88: Kris Spriggs, Kenton Ridge

1986-87: Todd Walker, South