Few athletes in the WPIAL market themselves as well as Connor Spratt.
Spratt is a senior at Seton LaSalle with a massive following on social media, evidenced by his 191,000 followers on TikTok. The personable teen also has an NIL deal in the bag and may be on the cusp of claiming another.
Off the court, Spratt is a big hit. On it, the kid with the TikTok username cbreezy has been more of a gust than a breeze. After missing five games with a wrist injury — all of which resulted in Seton LaSalle losses — Spratt is healthy again and lighting up the scoreboard for a Rebels squad that hopes to become a player in WPIAL Class 3A.
“We’re looking really solid right now going into the rest of the season,” Spratt said. “Our energy is high right now. We know our potential and we’re getting closer and closer every day. We definitely want to make some noise.”
Spratt, a 6-foot-2 guard, has made an emphatic return to the lineup after suffering a sprained right wrist — his shooting hand — in a Dec. 7 win against Serra Catholic. Spratt said his legs were taken out as he went up for a block and he then landed awkwardly on the wrist. Spratt said he didn’t shoot a basketball for 30 days before practicing last Thursday, a day prior to the team’s game at rival Keystone Oaks. The schools are located across the street from one another.
Against the Golden Eagles, Spratt put up a golden performance, knocking down five 3-pointers and scoring 28 points in a 66-55 Seton LaSalle win. Spratt followed by tallying 24 points in Tuesday’s 64-55 triumph against Brentwood, which improved the Rebels to 2-2 in Section 2 and 3-7 overall.
“I think he’s a tremendous outside shooter. That’s probably his No. 1 thing. When he gets a good open look, he’s really good at getting his shot off the dribble,” said longtime Seton LaSalle coach Mark “Knobby” Walsh.
Spratt is averaging 30 points over five games while shooting 40% from 3-point range. He opened the season with 31 points against Upper St. Clair, 41 versus Pine-Richland and 26 against Serra. It’s a big jump in scoring for Spratt, who earned all-section honors as a junior after pouring in 21.5 points a game.
Spratt said the game slowed down for him after playing AAU for Team Durant this past summer. Team Durant plays in the Nike EYBL and travels to tournaments across the country. Spratt faced outstanding competition and played with blue-chip recruits such as five-star K.J. Evans.
Opponents are doing whatever they can to try to slow Spratt down. Walsh said some go box-and-one on him and others use a 1-3 chaser. Neither has been very effective.
“I think there’s just more of an emphasis on him right now because we lost some seniors last year and some other guys who can score, and we’re really working to fill the gaps,” Walsh said. “But I think after the year he had and him being one of the top seniors coming back, teams have structured their game plans around him.”
Spratt is Seton LaSalle’s lone returning starter. He helped the Rebels win a section title last season, but was ruled ineligible for the postseason after transferring from Peters Township. The Rebels lost in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs. The Rebels’ other all-section honoree last season, J.R. Jones, graduated, while talented junior guard John Wilkins transferred to Neighborhood Academy. Junior forward Hayden Merchant has had a breakout season for the Rebels, ranking second on the team with 15.2 points a game.
“It was a little tough over the holidays,” Walsh said. “Some guys were out and we went through some adversity, but they didn’t panic.”
Of course, Spratt continues to experience success off the court, as well. Over the past year, he’s picked up 88,000 new followers on TikTok. Many of his videos feature moments from his games or of him putting up shots in his backyard. One from November has been viewed 5.4 million times.
“It’s exciting to see how much of an impact I’m making on athletes around the world, especially younger athletes who look up to me for inspiration,” said Spratt, who first had a video go viral in December 2020.
Spratt signed his first NIL deal in December, just a few weeks after the PIAA approved allowing athletes to profit from name, image and likeness. He signed with Rel Academy, a sports training academy in Bridgeville where he has trained since he was in the eighth grade. Spratt has also been contacted by Limitless NIL, whose co-founder is Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford. Spratt said the group hoped to enlist him once he got to college, but the high school NIL news seems to have expedited the process.
Speaking of colleges, Spratt has heard from quite a few. They include Navy, Davidson, American, Southern Mississippi, N.C. State and Slippery Rock. He took an unofficial visit to Navy last month. Spratt doesn’t have any offers as of yet.
Meanwhile, the clock is TikTok’ing on Seton LaSalle’s season, and with their star player healthy, the Rebels are trending up. They have a big test Friday when they play at two-time defending PIAA champion and section leader Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (10-2, 4-0).
If the Rebels were to win a WPIAL title, might their coach join Spratt for a celebratory TikTok video?
“I’m not a TikTok guy,” Walsh said, laughing.
Brad is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at beverett@unionprogress.com.