This season has been different for Apprentice School star guard/forward Jay Melendez.

The former Nansemond River High School player is in the midst of his senior year, and he said he is “cherishing every moment, every practice, every time that I’m on the court.”

He has reflected on how this campaign will be his final one being coached by Franklin Chatman — also possessing strong ties to Suffolk — and the rest of the Builders’ coaching staff.

“I’m also trying to make sure every time I go on the court it’s my best performance I can possibly give,” Melendez said.

That effort and dedication has been revealed in his statistics.

“Jay is playing really well,” Chatman said. “His progression from his freshman year to this point has been great.”

Melendez averaged 6.6 points and 6.5 rebounds as a freshman, then exploded onto the scene in his sophomore year, averaging a team-high 18.1 points to go with 9.4 rebounds.

Teams were not surprised by him during his junior season, but he still led the Builders with 17.5 points per game and also averaged 8.8 rebounds.

Melendez had a back injury early this season and missed two of the 10 games played so far, but he has contributed a team-high 19.6 points per game, while adding 9.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks.

“Jay’s turning out to be a special player for us,” Chatman said. “We definitely feel like he should be an All-American again this year.”

He was named the United States Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Player of the Week for the week ending on Dec. 1, and he has also established a few records at the Apprentice School.

In the Builders’ 72-71 victory against host University of Valley Forge, he set the Apprentice School record for three-pointers made in a career, going 4-for-6 from beyond the arc to contribute to his game-high 19 points.

Though Melendez has been the team’s established star since 2013, he has shown clear improvement and growth from last season.

“He’s a better ball handler, he’s gotten stronger, he’s a little more aggressive getting to the basket,” Chatman said.

Melendez has been starting as the Builders’ third guard in their three-guard lineup, but Chatman said, “With the improvement of his ball handling, I’m thinking about actually moving him to the two-guard position.”

The Builders (5-5) feature an 11-man roster this season, including five freshmen and two sophomores, meaning Melendez has had to step up his leadership skills.

He said this has involved “just being more available for the guys to talk to,” being willing to sit down and go through plays with them and help them as much as possible with acclimating to the overall workload of the Apprentice School.

As far as his future goals are concerned, Melendez wants to continue to accumulate individual accolades, but none of those trumps his ultimate team goal.

“None of it really matters if you don’t get a national championship,” he said.

After nearly a month off, the Builders return to the hardwood on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Barber-Scotia College in Concord, N.C.