Before committing to play basketball for Northern State University in South Dakota, senior Jake Johnson spent a lot of time talking and texting with coaches about potential scholarships.
To get where he is today was no easy task. Many obstacles stood in the way and he put in lots of hard work to achieve his goals.
“In sixth grade,” said Johnson, “I was really close to getting cut.”
Starting later than most (sixth grade) he improved throughout his three years of middle school. Johnson went from barely making the lower B team to barely making the higher A team with much improvement to come.
“He wouldn’t be a good player if he didn’t put in the hours by himself,” said Johnson’s current coach, Ryan Hauge.
And that’s exactly what he did.
When joining AAU leagues during off-season, he went up against better competition in which he said his weaknesses were exposed.
Johnson then took those weaknesses and put in the effort to improve on them for the regular season where he contributed greatly to the victories.
“He’s a good leader on and off the court,” aid teammate Taylor Koep, “and motivates us to win and play our best.”
Because of positive attitude and tremendous improvement, Johnson was offered many scholarships including full rides and offers by division one colleges.
“It’s a really cool experience,” said Johnson, “because not a lot of people have this opportunity.”
Although all the phone calls, traveling, tournaments, and commitment to his sport got overwhelming, he enjoyed his journey from the bottom of the mountain to the top along with all the memories with his teammates along the way.
“I’m going to miss hanging out and playing with Jake,” said teammate Koep, “but it’ll be cool seeing where his talent takes him.”