A-K Valley Senior Spotlight: Redeemer Lutheran’s Jesse Van Wyk

By: Ted Sarneso
Monday, March 18, 2024 | 11:37 AM

Previous Next

Jesse Van Wyk never thought he would win the MVP of the South Western Pennsylvania Athletic Alliance his sophomore season.

“I was kind of surprised when I heard I got it,” Van Wyk said. “I really thought someone else would have gotten it. I was at practice when I found out so it was nice to celebrate with my teammates who were equally excited.”

According to coach John Driscoll, it was a goal Van Wyk had set for himself the minute he stepped on the court for Redeemer Lutheran.

“Jesse worked extremely hard to get where he is,” Driscoll said. “He is a dominant force on the court, and his play sets him apart from all the others in the league. I was very proud of him when he won.”

Accomplishing his goal in only his second year meant Van Wyk would have high expectations for his junior year.

Unfortunately, an early season injury that saw Van Wyk break his humerus trying to brace himself against a wall after a blocked shot meant he would be out for the year.

“It was not fun,” Van Wyk said. “I did not like having to sit on the bench and watching my team play.”

Said Driscoll: “That was a dark time. I teach my players that basketball is more than a game. It teaches them about life. He could have easily quit the game, however, he rose to the challenge.”

Only a month after his injury, Van Wyk was back practicing with the team in a capacity that would not jeopardize his recovery.

“Being on the bench, I was able to see the game from a different way,” Van Wyk said.

He closed out his senior season by topping 1,000 points for his career, becoming just the second player in the SWPAA to hit the milestone.

“It feels pretty nice that I actually achieved it because I didn’t think I would have gotten it because I did miss that whole year,” Van Wyk said.

Van Wyk finished his high school career with 1,048 points and an average of 22.3 points.

“Jesse is one of the hardest workers I’ve ever coached,” Driscoll said.

“The moment he steps on the court, he’s all business and leads by example. He’s determined to achieve excellence.”

Van Wyk took a few minutes for a Senior Spotlight Q&A:

What was the recovery process from your injury like?

A lot of strength training and mobility exercises, trying to get it to move like it used to and to get it stronger because I had lost some muscle. It went pretty smoothly, and I gained more strength than I thought I would.

Did you doubt if you’d ever play again?

I had doubts that my arm wouldn’t be the same, but I had no doubts as to whether I would ever play again. All the coaches were asking if it would affect the way I play. I just wanted to show that the injury was fully healed and that it would have no effect.

Coach Driscoll said you’ve studied players both past and present. Who are some of the guys you’ve analyzed the most, and who have you modeled your game like?

I’ve studied Kyrie Irving and Allen Iverson the most. I try to model my game more off Iverson, though.

He also said you are routinely challenged by your teammates to one-on-one at practice. How did that come about?

We are all friends on the team, but those one-on-one games can get really competitive. Sometimes, even though we’re friends, when arguments come up, we’ll settle them with a one-on-one.

You’ve been a team captain for three years. What was it like to get that honor?

It was a nice experience because it was a great group of guys I got to play with. Even though we wanted to win and be competitive, we still found a way to make it fun.

What is it you like to do most on the court?

I like playing defense. I like stopping dudes from getting to the basket, blocking their shots and frustrating them.

Toughest team you had to defend?

Propel Andrew Street. They were just quick with their hands, and they always shot the lights out when we played them.

College plans?

I plan on going to Slippery Rock University to study exercise science. If I can, I would like to play basketball for them.

Piece of advice you would want to leave your teammates before graduating?

Listen to the coach. He definitely knows more than you.