Note: The following story appears in the 2015 Patriot League Basketball Tournament program.

By: Justin Lafleur, Lehigh Sports Media Relations

When you're around a sport enough, it usually sticks.

There's no better example than Lehigh senior guard Corey Schaefer. Schaefer grew up around the game of basketball. His father is a college basketball coach, which created a foundation of fundamentals at a young age.

"Corey will never resist coaching, he will always seek to promote his teammates and he's a unifying factor," said Lehigh head coach Brett Reed. "His teammates respect his unselfishness, but they also recognize the amount of toughness that this young man has demonstrated. He's never backed down from a challenge."

Championship programs are built around student-athletes like Schaefer; he's the player who does the right thing, on and off the court. He won a Patriot League championship as a freshman and is applying what he's learned as a senior leader this season.

Everything has come full circle for Schaefer, both at Lehigh and in his basketball career. Flash back to the 1990s when his father was head coach at Marycrest College. All Corey knew was basketball through a coach's eyes.

"Having grown up talking about successful teams over the dinner table has helped engrain tremendous values into Corey," said Reed.

Schaefer was always around basketball and would often be in the gym with his dad.

"Corey saw what it takes and saw guys who played the game the right way and were held accountable," said Corey's father, Denis Schaefer.

From being a water boy for his dad's teams to playing basketball at a high level, Corey has worked his way into becoming a captain for a Division I program. The idea of playing collegiately crept into his mind when he was a sophomore in high school. Later in his high school career, Schaefer was contacted by Reed and former Lehigh associate head coach Matt Logie, who brought Corey on campus in September of his senior year.

"I really liked the coaches and really liked the guys on the team," said Schaefer. "Then I found out more about Lehigh's prestigious academics, which made the school really stand out."

Seeing fellow Iowa native Gabe Knutson on the Mountain Hawks brought Schaefer an added sense of comfort.

"I remember playing against Corey in high school and we split the two games," said Knutson. "He was a freshman when I was a junior and he was so small. I hadn't seen him play since we played in Iowa, but I knew if our coaches liked how he played, then he would be a good fit. I'm glad he was able to come out to Lehigh and excel in the classroom and on the court. He is such a hard worker and has tremendous toughness."

Schaefer entered Lehigh as a wide-eyed freshman who was looking to make an impact.

"Freshman year was a whirlwind," said Schaefer. "You're coming in thinking things will go exactly how you've planned, then you realize that players are a lot stronger and the game's a lot faster and a lot more competitive."

Schaefer saw significant minutes as the backup point guard for the 2011-12 Mountain Hawks, who won a school-record 27 games, captured the Patriot League Championship and earned a historic victory over Duke in the NCAA Tournament. Schaefer averaged 2.8 points per game and dished 40 assists in 33 games (two starts).

"Since the time I got to campus, it was emphasized that you have to be a really hard worker if you want to succeed," said Schaefer. "Guys were always in the gym."

Schaefer's playing time has increased each season and so has his role as a leader.

"As you get older, you have to be more vocal, hold guys more accountable and take more responsibility," he said.

Schaefer isn't naturally a vocal leader. He's made a concerted effort in that area and has stepped up to the challenge. Over the last two seasons, he's helped lead a young Mountain Hawks' team that's on the upswing.

"Corey has begun to understand the importance of taking a more active leadership role," said Reed. "He's accepted, and embraced, that responsibility."

Watch any Lehigh practice or game and you see Schaefer encouraging his teammates and holding them accountable.

"I had to be more aggressive in my leadership style," he said. "That's come from communicating and building strong relationships with the coaches and the other guys on the team."

Schaefer has been a part of so many different types of teams at Lehigh - beginning with veteran groups (his first two seasons), to a young team with a senior point guard (in 2013-14), and now a more experienced group with a freshman point guard (this season). Through it all, he has been one of the few constants and looks to tap into that experience come March.

Schaefer's career is in the midst of coming circle. He hopes to close that circle in March the way he started it... with a Patriot League Championship. The 2014-15 Mountain Hawks have shown flashes of brilliance, highlighted by road wins at power conference schools DePaul and Arizona State. They know they're fully capable of winning a wide-open Patriot League this year.

"To win a championship, we have to stay together as a family, which we always seem to do," said Schaefer. "Secondly, we have to compete on a daily basis which means bringing energy. Sometimes we go through these lulls and aren't consistent. We need to make sure our energy level is high. Finally, we have to buy into what the coaches are teaching us, the systems they have in place, and execute to the best of our abilities."

Regardless what happens, Schaefer is set up for success post-graduation. He's excelled in the classroom, owning a 3.57 cumulative GPA, which includes a 3.94 GPA this fall. In January, he was named one of just 30 candidates nationally (and three in the Patriot League) for the prestigious Senior CLASS Award, an award for those who epitomize the all-around student-athlete.

Schaefer could take many routes with his career. He's a Finance major, but admits he would be open to several different areas of business. Last summer, Schaefer interned back home with Principal Financial Group in an area called Advanced Solutions. He received an all-encompassing experience that helped get his feet wet in the business world.

"I'm extremely proud, not only of his basketball, but also how he's handled himself in terms of his academics - how he's worked on time management, how he's committed to the team concept and how he's unwavering in his approach with anything he sets his mind to," said Corey's father Denis.

Corey's numbers may not lead his team or jump out of the page, but he's the foundation for a successful team.

"A motto when I've coached is that toughness wins games," said Denis, who is now coaching at Grand View. "I've really tried to instill in Corey to be a great teammate and promote everything around him. It's not about scoring points; it's about playing the game the right way and giving great effort every night. In the end, if you do that, wins and losses take care of themselves."