It’s no secret that three-pointers have gained increased importance in the game of basketball.

From the pros to college down to high school, analytics claim attempting the perimeter shot — despite a lower percentage — is more valuable than ones from within the arc.

So, it’s a bit ironic that Lehighton’s Cole Dietz — already an established shooter from long range — stepped up his game this season by becoming better inside the three-point line.

“He was so much more dynamic,” said Indians head coach Trevor Miller. “He went from being just a shooter ... to becoming somebody that became a real threat inside the three-point line and just an all-around scorer.

“I think everybody always thought of him as a shooter. But if you looked at his numbers inside the three-point line this year, they were pretty impressive. I think ultimately that all came down to his commitment to getting in the weight room and getting stronger, faster, quicker, all those things which made the difference.”

Dietz, who still took the open perimeter shot when available, was more inclined to drive to the basket when it wasn’t there. And because of that, his two-point field goals went from 52 in his junior season to 105 this year. It also resulted in him getting to the foul line more, connecting on nearly 40 more free throws.

Those significantly affected his scoring average, finishing with an area high of 20.96 points per game. That output, along with his leadership that helped Lehighton reach both the league and district playoffs, earned the senior the Times News/Lehigh Valley Health Network Boys Basketball Player of the Year award.

Speaking of numbers, Dietz reached a significant one early in the season.

“Individually, I was definitely looking forward to scoring my 1,000th point,” said Dietz, the first Indian boys player of the year in 30 years (Broc Armbruster). “That comes with a lot of work in the offseason, perfecting my craft. And I was able to get to that point by taking my game to the next level from just being a three-point shooter to being able to score at all levels.

“As a team, I was just trying to do everything I can as a leader and a captain of the team to help us succeed, whether it was scoring, passing, anything like that. I was happy with making the league and district playoffs. Obviously we would have liked to win a couple more games, but overall I felt like we had a pretty successful season and it was definitely enjoyable and one I’ll remember.”

Dietz ended up shooting an impressive 53.8% from two-point range, and added 85 assists and 85 rebounds. Despite being targeted by defenses, knowing his ability to shoot from distance, he still hit 66 threes which led all area boys players. He ended his career with 1,470 points, and smashed the school record for treys with 272.

“Coach Miller gave the green light ever since I was a freshman, so that’s always a good thing,” said Dietz, who will take his skills to Lebanon Valley College. “He believes in me to make those shots. He always tells me that three is worth more than two, so if I have an open three I’m going to take it.

“My teammates always had the utmost confidence in me and believed in me no matter what the situation is, where if I come out and miss my first four shots of the game, they’re still telling me to shoot the ball. I definitely wouldn’t be able to have the success without them.”

Trying to keep the Indian senior off the scoreboard caused headaches for opposing coaches. But unfortunately for Dietz, it was headaches that sometimes limited his ability to play or practice.

“One of my biggest defenders, which isn’t really a basketball thing, is I get migraines,” he said. “One thing with that is I never know when I’m going to get them. My coaches don’t know and that puts a lot of pressure on Coach Miller, not knowing. We could be warming up and I could get one and not be able to play, so it’s been a big thing for me — playing with symptoms of it all the time. Some games I’m not really completely healthy but I try my best to push through it.”

“There’s many instances over the four years that the migraine situation has come up,” said Miller. “I had to educate myself on it because I don’t deal with them and none of my family dealt with it, so I had to research a lot of that stuff and ultimately what it comes down to is when you have these migraines, they are just debilitating.”

Nothing deterred his ability to lead, though, as Dietz was a team captain for the third year in a row. It’s a testament to his character and his love of the game.

“He’s a three-year captain for a reason, because every offseason workout, every offseason event that we had ... he was always there. One of the unique things about Cole is that every younger kid in our program looked up to him. He’s a true role model. He’s the exact kid you want representing your program. As far as a leader goes, he was as good as you were going to get.

“Cole is a multi-sport athlete but ... he loves basketball. And basketball has been, and I think will always be, his true love ... He would rally kids together and go play at the Grove, or go play somewhere else. Cole rejuvenated Lehighton basketball, he really did.”