Prospect Spotlight: Gatdoar Bijiek (2019)
Des Moines North has a wealth of talent waiting in the wings, and 6-foot-3 shooting guard Gatdoar Bijiek will be one of the team’s key pieces the next two seasons.
The younger brother of Iowa’s 6th-ranked 2017, Jal Bijiek, Gatdoar is more of a shooter than an above the rim threat, and defined his specific playing style to PHIA.
“Shooting is one of my strengths and something I need to work on is getting stronger. I’m looking to improve rebounding a lot, and getting better at on-ball defense,” said Gatdoar.
“I work out with John (Lamb) four days a week, Monday through Thursday, and we just shoot a lot, I get a lot of shots up.”
Last season as a sophomore, Gatdoar played significant minutes with the Polar Bears’ varsity, averaging 3.0 points per game while helping the team to its first state your name since 1991.
“Playing on that team was great, everyone on the team loved each other and we all worked together all season,” said Gatdoar, who is already thinking about what he can improve next season.
“I wasn’t really happy with the way I shot this year, I feel like I could have shot better. And next year I think will be a great year for myself and the team.”
Older brother Jal averaged 15.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.4 blocks per game this past winter as a senior. Gatdoar admires his brother for his play, but also for his off-the-court actions.
“Having a brother like Jal who makes all the highlight plays, it’s cool.,” said Gatdoar. “And watching him on the news and hearing the way he talks, you can really learn from it.”
This spring and summer, Gatdoar will be playing with newly found program, Beyond Ball.
“I feel like our team is pretty solid, it’s more of a guard dominant team. I’ve always played with John (Lamb) since I was younger, and I feel like it’s the best way to get myself better,” said Gatdoar.