Senior Profile: Shooting for the stars

Jud Sailsbery of Orland High School is a senior basketball player on a mission: To have a winning season, earn either an academic or athletic scholarship to a university and go on to get his doctorate in physical therapy.

Sailsbery started playing basketball when he was about 5 years old, becoming interested in the sport from having always accompanied his announcer father to Orland High games.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Sailsbery was moved up to the varsity team as a freshman, a first for Orland High basketball coach Jason Bragg.

"Jud is an incredible basketball mind. He was the first freshman I've ever moved up to varsity, and I have been coaching for 15 years. He's a great senior leader, and we will miss him next year," Bragg said of his starting point guard.

For Sailsbery, he too will miss Orland High basketball, but is determined to play it wherever he lands, with the East Coast being the ideal location as the universities with physical therapy programs tend to be intense, but slightly shorter in duration.

His academic goals firmly decided, it is still basketball that has and always will capture Sailsbery's heart.

"I've always been passionate about basketball. I have other interests, but I have the most passion for playing basketball," Sailsbery said.

Despite a busy schedule, Sailsbery maintains a 4.33 grade-point average, with advance placement college prep classes to boot.

Despite the large load, Sailsbery still finds time to watch sports, with Duke University basketball and Coach K (Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski) being his favorite.

"I like his ideals of the game. He maintains a good balance of what a coach should be, and his ideals of how to play and coach," Sailsbery said about Krzyzewski.

While he is a star on the Orland High team — racking up an average of 20.7 points, seven rebounds and five assists per game — Sailsbery also makes time to play during the summer months on an AAU team based out of Sacramento.

He attributes much of his competitive edge to playing AAU ball, where he plays against "some of the best kids in the country" in places such as Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

Sailsbery credits the AAU coaches over the years for his understanding of the philosophy of the game he loves, as well as for their insight and abilities.

He also notes his appreciation for Bragg, whom he says he has enjoyed playing for all these years.

CONTACT Emily Saint-Evens at 824-7990 or esaintevens@tcnpress.com