Recruiting Report: JJ Strumbel (2018)
Six-foot-5 big JJ Strumbel of Rockford is part of a balanced team that has started the year 7-3. Strumbel ran through the season and recruiting with NHR today.
“Things are going great for Rockford this season,” JJ said. “We’re currently 7-2 with the 2 losses against higher level teams (Holy Family and Tartan). We competed with both and made them work for their wins.
“Individually I’ve improved upon my stats from last season already and plan to continue to improve more as the season continues on,” JJ said.
Through the first six games Strumbel is averaging 10.8 points, six rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 2.7 blocks shooting 45 percent from the arc and 80 percent from the foul line.
“I’ve definitely developed more scoring options,” JJ said. “In Rockford, I have played the Center position up until this year because of my height. After playing in the forward position in AAU, I’ve moved into more of an outside position this season because of my range of shooting.
“I can score around the basket, 15-25 feet away and outside the 3-point line depending on what our offense needs. My defense has significantly improved.
“I changed my diet and got in the weight room gaining 20 pounds of mostly muscle this summer and fall. It’s helped my stamina on the court to play for longer stretches, quickness and strength defending bigger opponents.”
Junior Nick Manatha and sophomore Luke Pepin join Strumbel is the leading scorers for this team. The talent is there and the team is hoping to make a strong run.
“We returned three starters from last year. Our other two starters this year were first off the bench last year and we gained another player who transferred to our school for his senior season who had Varsity experience.
“We lost Jake Hall who averaged over 20 points per game but we gained an all around scoring team with everyone touching the ball and spreading out the points with multiple players in double figures. We run a high pressure defense making it difficult for teams to run their offenses and getting the ball up the court.
“We have a tougher schedule this year but expect to rise above the challenge, improving as the year goes on. We know we won’t win them all but the challenges will make us a better all around team as Conference play begins and playoffs kick off at the end of the season.”
Strumbel of course has big goals for his year but it all starts with the next day. Each day is important. Each day is a different experience.
“I’ve never focused on individual goals such as points per game, rebounds, steals, etc,” JJ said. “They are important but I want to focus on providing what my team needs from me that day. We all have a goal of constant improvement from our last practice and/or game.
“Makes us a better team that will push us to our limits and make us a better all around team. Of course we want to win and go to State but we take each game one at a time and accomplish goals for that game first.”
The inside-out ability of Strumbel has several schools talking to him about his destination for basketball next year in college.
“I’ve been contacted by several basketball programs including: St. Mary’s, St. Scholastica, Wisconsin-Stout, Luther, Central College, Gustavus, Loras and a few other schools.
“I visited all of them this past summer and fall and have taken secondary visits to most of them. I’ve applied and been accepted at my top five and plan to make a decision around season end, if not sooner.
“I am also being actively recruited for baseball at some of the same schools as well as some D2 level options. My priority however has been focused on playing basketball at the next level, but am open to the possibility of playing baseball too.”