Saia starts fast
Senior guard sets program record in 4th game since joining Merrillville
It took just four games for Preston Saia to set a Merrillville record.
The 6-foot-7 senior guard knocked down eight 3-pointers on 10 attempts in the Pirates’ win against Griffith on Dec. 12.
“It’s a blessing,” Saia said. “I’m going to try to break it again one day, one of these games. It’s really cool.”
Saia joined Merrillville after spending the past two seasons at Don Bosco. He began his high school career playing on Crown Point’s junior varsity team as a freshman.
Even with the Pirates (3-1) returning four starters from last season, Saia has meshed with the group.
“It’s been seamless because of his personality,” Merrillville coach Bo Patton said. “He’s a natural leader, not necessarily vocal but by example. He’s a guy who comes before school to shoot and stays after practice to shoot.
“He’s proven it by putting in the work and asserting himself as a good teammate first and as a leader. Any kid can respect that, as well as coaches for sure. He’s made it easy for himself.”
Senior point guard Jaeden Williams has helped expedite the process.
“He’s fit in great,” Williams said of Saia. “He’s gotten more comfortable as the time went on since he’s gotten here. I made sure of that, that he came in and was comfortable. Guys felt him out, he felt us out and it’s been great.”
As Merrillville prepares for a nonconference matchup against East Chicago Central (4-3) on Friday, Saia is averaging a teamhigh 16.8 points and 4.3 rebounds. He has hit 51.5% (17 of 33) of his 3-point shots.
Patton, a former standout for Merrillville who graduated in 2008 and is in his fifth season as coach after being an assistant, said he hasn’t seen a marksman quite like Saia in his tenure.
“He’s probably the best shooter I’ve coached in 10 years here at Merrillville, and we’ve had some very good shooters,” Patton said. “On top of that, he’s a great academic kid. He’s one of the best teammates I’ve coached as well. He just fits in perfect. The guys have embraced him. He’s a great addition to our program.”
Williams is averaging 11.8 points and a team-high 6.5 assists, with Saia on the receiving end on many of his passes.
“I love playing with Preston,” Williams said. “He makes my job very easy. He makes it extremely easy by spacing the floor and (being) as big as he is. Once guys close out on him, he can shoot over anybody.
“If he’s hot, I just keep feeding him every time. There’s no doubt in my mind he’s going to make the next shot.”
Saia grew up in the area before moving to Florida for sixth grade. He returned to the Region for his freshman year.
“It feels like home here,” Saia said of Merrillville. “Everyone’s friendly. Everyone was welcoming when I came. I wish I came here earlier. It’s been great here.
“Senior year, I decided I wanted to come to a public school, play for real playoffs. In prep school, you can’t play for playoffs. Here you can actually play for something, so I wanted to do that before I graduated and go to college.”
Saia, who has a half-dozen offers from Division III and NAIA schools so far, has become a key player as the Pirates pursue their first winning season since 2017-18 and more.
“My teammates are just getting me open,” he said. “They’re finding me. It’s just team play. It’s not individuals. We’re playing as a team every single game.”