The alarm goes off.

But he doesn’t want to get out of bed.

And who could blame him.

It’s still dark outside and most people will still be sleeping for a few more hours.

But Tyler Fritz made a commitment - to himself and his team. It’s a commitment he kept, and one that helped propel him and Marian to an outstanding season.

“I’d wake up before school, probably around 4:30,” said Fritz. “I’d go lift and then come home and eat, go to school, come home and then go to practice. And then just repeat it. There were some days where I wanted to hit the snooze button, but I knew I had to do it.

“I knew I had to get bigger, had to get stronger ... My freshman year was the only one where we had a (really successful) season. My sophomore and junior year we were right around .500, and I was sick of being .500 so I knew I had to step up more and do different things.”

Boy, did he ever.

Those early morning sessions helped the senior add muscle to his 6-2 frame. And with that added weight, he became a much more complete player - especially at the offensive end. That’s saying something, since he averaged 20.22 points per game as a junior.

“He could always shoot ... but I think his biggest part was developing his body, his strength, and really being able to get to the basket,” said Marian head coach John Patton. “Offensive rebounds are huge and he kept us in games ... He was always a good defensive rebounder, but offensively he was really aggressive this year and I think his physicality set him apart.

“There were games where he was just physically dominant over everybody else. And it really helped us get to where we wanted to go - winning the divisional title and reaching the league playoffs. We kind of did it on his back.”

Fritz opened the season with back-to-back 30-point games and helped the Colts start 11-0. He scored double figures all 25 times Marian took the floor, finishing with at least 20 points 21 times. He also reached 30 points on 13 different occasions, with a high of 41 coming on Jan. 17.

His 27.96 points per game scoring average was the highest by an area boys player since 1990-91. But his other numbers also increased. His overall shooting percentage rose (. 401 to .493). His rebounds jumped (146 to 196), as did his offensive boards (28 to 68). He shot more free throws (213 to 140) and turned the ball over less (64 to 95). And, he was named to the all-state team - his third straight appearance.

For those efforts, Fritz was named the Times News/Lehigh Valley Health Network Boys Basketball Player of the Year. And while he doesn’t play to win awards, the recognition is appreciated.

“Yeah, it’s awesome because I’ve put so many hours into it, hours that people don’t see, and then to be rewarded like that, it’s just awesome,” said Fritz.

Another awesome achievement was finishing as the Colts all-time leading scorer. Fritz passed Joe Horvat in January and ended his career with 1,959 points.

“It wasn’t really one of my goals when I first got to Marian, but as I got closer I was like, ‘Oh, my God I can actually do this’. Once I got it, it was absolutely amazing.”

Patton was there to see all those points. Most of the ones early in Tyler’s career came on jumpers, but this season they came in a variety of ways.

“There were games where he would have no points or a couple points, and you look up and we’re still in the game, which was because he was getting other people involved,” said Patton. “The next thing you know, he has 25. He had the ability to score in bunches. He was so much bigger and stronger, so he could hit a three on you, then he could hit a midrange jumper, then he could take it to the basket and get fouled and then finish the play and get to the line.

“He was able to score in so many ways that he could score eight, 10, 12 straight points and really open up a game or get us back into a game.”

Most of those games Marian won, as the team posted a 19-6 record (10-3 in league play). The Colts defeated Nativity in a tiebreaker to capture the Division 3 title.

Fritz played a huge role in achieving that team success, but was quick to credit the rest of the squad for the positive outcome.

“Me and my boys, we’d come to Eagle Rock where I live; there’s a gym here and we’d play almost every single day in the offseason,” said Fritz, who wanted to thank his parents (Damian and Kristin), grandfather (Bob Fulton) and Patton for helping him along his basketball journey. “We created this type of chemistry, and we got comfortable around each other and trusted each other. We knew each other’s spots and our weaknesses and strengths, so that helped us this year.

“The kids that I played with this year, they’re my friends off the court too. We did everything together. We were really close, and it was just awesome to go on that run with them this year. I wouldn’t have wanted to do it with anyone else.”