Jack Janicki, a 6-foot-5, 185-pound junior guard from White Bear Lake (Minn.) High had a big junior campaign and is hoping that a strong performance this weekend and at an upcoming West Coast visit will increase his scholarship offers and recruiting interest.
Janicki averaged 24.1 points per game this season for White Bear Lake, scoring in double figures in 24 of 26 games. He has had 14 games of 20 to 29 points and seven more games of more than 30 points, including a season-best 39 versus Andover. Janicki went over 1,000 points in that contest.
Janicki averaged 19.7 points per game as a sophomore for White Bear Lake, scoring in double figures in 18 of 19 games. He had five games of 20 to 29 points and three more games of more than 30 points, including a season-best 39 versus Stillwater.
The Gopher Report caught up with Janicki Sunday at the Breakdown Summer State Series to learn more about his recruitment, upcoming visits to the West Coast and senior season.
The Gopher Report: You guys just finished up school. You are technically a senior. What does that feel like?
Jack Janicki: "It feels good. It was kind of lame. I didn’t go to my last day of school, because my grades were pretty much set in stone, so I didn’t get that last day of school kind of feeling, but it is the last year. It feels kind of weird.
The Gopher Report: You are playing with your high school team at this event, trying to get that chemistry going.
Janicki: "We are new in the sense that our program shifted a year ago. We had a new coach and a lot of underclassmen playing, but now we have a system and all of our guys are now seniors and have varsity experience, so it feels different than last year. I feel that we are starting at a better starting point, but now it is competing against teams like this and winning big games. Hopefully making a run."
The Gopher Report: Does that build some more confidence within the team that you have that stability, where maybe last year you had a new head coach and a lot of new players?
Janicki: "Yes. We can just work on getting better."
The Gopher Report: What is the latest on your recruitment right now?
Janicki: "June has kind of been boring for me. I’m going for a visit to Stanford and Santa Clara in two weekends, so that is kin d of my big trip for the summer. I think that camp next weekend, there will be some schools there to watch me, but as with most people I’m assuming, are waiting for those July periods when the transfer portal is almost completely over and everyone is settled down and people are looking at high schoolers again."
The Gopher Report: Is that an official visit to Stanford and Santa Clara?
Janicki: "I’m going to their Elite camp at Stanford and Santa Clara, I’m going just on a visit. Both are unofficial."
The Gopher Report: When did you first start hearing from Stanford?
Janicki: "I heard from them over a year ago and then the coach that was contacting me had left, so there was a dead period in that relationship because one of the coaches went to Xavier. This summer, I’ve been playing well and one of the D1 coaches, Jay Fuhrmann, got in touch and reached out to them again and we are talking a little bit."
The Gopher Report: They obviously, have a great academic situation and basketball as well. Is that something that you are looking for, that combination?
Janicki: "I’m definitely looking for a school that will set me up, because my intentions aren’t to play in the NBA and when this is all done, I want to put myself in a situation where I can succeed."
The Gopher Report: Have you thought about when you are even going to try to on a school? Would you try to decide before the season?
Janicki: "In a perfect world, if I get the one offer or get a great relationship or a school that I already have and have visited and I just love it, which I still need to go and do some visits. I really like Loyola, though, but in a perfect world, I would want to do it early August right after the AAU season is over when all my options are on the table and I can finally do pros and cons."
The Gopher Report: How many are offer are you still up to right now?
Janicki: "Still six. I haven’t gotten any new ones. I think it’s tricky with the transfer portal. I have a couple schools that are like if I went out and visited, the offer would be there, but I haven’t gotten any new official offers yet. I’m not too caught up in that. I think that the timing is a little bit funny right now, but that’s fine."
The Gopher Report: What are going to be the main factors that are going to make you pick School A over School B and C?
Janicki: "I think, first and foremost, the school itself. Location. Academics is important and the relationship I have with the coaching staff is big. I just want to trust the people that I’m going to, so if those are the two big factors, then obviously, I want to go to a place that goes to the NCAA Tournament."
The Gopher Report: If you went to Stanford or Santa Clara, you are in that Golden State territory?
Janicki: "I’ve texted some coaches who are Warrior fans and I’ve been “I’m not the guy you want to talk to right now.” I was laying on the ground in agony after Game 4. I was like “Oh, my god.”
The Gopher Report: You are playing in the Minnesota High School Basketball Coaches. Have you talked to a few coaches that are definitely going to be there?
Janicki: "I’ve had a lot of coaches who just “Are you going to the camp, we’ll be there.” I think that is a lot of coaches there. It’s hard to know what you’ll get at a basketball camp. I think basketball camps are kind of tricky, because it doesn’t really promote real games and how to play well, but I think it’s just a good place to put yourself out there."
The Gopher Report: Would you still be open to a new school?
Janicki: "Yes. I’m open to anything right now. I believe I’ve worked hard enough to set myself up to make a decision where I can choose what I want, instead of being forced to go somewhere because I have a few options. I think if I play well and some high majors come, the decision will be hard to make, but I’m open to any of them."
The Gopher Report: AAU-wise, you have played well this spring. What are you expecting to show in July?
Janicki: "I have we are just going to try to keep getting better. Our team is really talented and we ended the season really well, but I think when you have a group of guys that are the main guy on their high school team and you get them together, it’s like some feeling out and the offense is a little shaky sometimes, just because you have a bunch of good guys and don’t necessarily trust one another yet, but I think we have a lot got better. I think that we play really hard, so the adidas tournament, we’ll try to make a run and that will help us all in our recruitment, so I’m looking forward to that."
The Gopher Report: Do you think that helps you as a player for the next level because you can show that you can play well when you are the main guy at high school and one of the guys in AAU?
Janicki: "I think I’ve done a really good job of making winning plays, besides scoring. I think that sets me up well. We get two more weekends to show that in front of college coaches, so I’m excited."
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