The ADM boys basketball team limped through a tough 2014-15 season, finishing with a 3-19 overall record. One thing became clear as the year went on: the Tigers were a much better team when junior center Jacob Hardy was on the floor.

The main problem? ADM’s most efficient player was often riding the bench due to foul trouble.

Hardy averaged 9.0 points per game on team-high 55 percent shooting and grabbed a team-best 8.3 rebounds per game. At approximately 6-4, he was a force inside, often out-muscling taller players in the post for rebounds and buckets.

But in his 21 games, Hardy fouled out nine times. On six other occasions, he finished with four fouls. In other words, over 70 percent of the time, the junior spent significant time on the bench.

Tigers head coach Aaron Mager said he’d like to see Hardy, who enjoyed a monster year at defensive end for the ADM football team this past fall, play more basketball in the offseason. Mager said he thinks Hardy now realizes that he has tremendous upside heading into next season, and hopes that motivates his best post player to put in even more work.

Aside from the obvious of playing more disciplined defense to limit fouls, Mager listed finishing more consistently inside and improving upon his free throw shooting (Hardy shot just 53 percent from the line) as the keys to Hardy taking the next step as a player.

If he does, Mager said Hardy can become a 14 to 16 point scorer per game.

“So if he can put that all together, I think he can be a real force inside because he’s strong as an ox, he wants to work, he is a good, passionate player,” Mager said. “He bring a good, competitive spirit. But when  you’re sitting on the bench, you can’t show those things. He’s a great rebounder, so you take that element off the floor for us, and we become a more average team real quick.”