Decision Time For Rader
It’s decision time for Green Bay (Wis.) Notre Dame 2018 power forward Matthew Rader. While he’s in the midst of his senior season, Rader expects to announce his commitment in the near future.
“I pretty much have it narrowed down to St. Norbert, St. Thomas, and UW-Oshkosh,” Rader told Prep Hoops. “Not really in any order, but those are the ones I’ve been in contact with the most.”
Rader broke down his three finalists:
St. Norbert: “I like their activity in the post. They make it a point of emphasis to play in the post. They have multiple guys who can play in and out. Coach (Gary) Grzesk, his son is on our JV team, so he’s at most of our games. He’s a friendly guy. We’ve grown up knowing him. He’s an awesome guy.”
St. Thomas: “They were kind of late to the process, but I know there’s been a handful of kids from my school who go there. It’s a catholic school. We visited a couple weeks ago. They also make it a point of emphasis to feed their post guys. The atmosphere is similar to my school.”
UW-Oshkosh: “I like the distance. It’s only an hour away. It’s not too far, but not in the backyard. I like the pace that they play. Their coaching staff is excellent, very energetic. They seem to really like my family and my family really likes them too. They also utilize and play through the post a lot.”
Notre Dame currently sits at 16-4 overall and 12-4 in a heated Fox River Classic Conference race. Rader is averaging a team-best 14.8 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.
While Rader has narrowed down his list, Division 2 Grand Valley State has recently entered the picture.
“They said they were going to come to a game this month,” Rader explained.
Notre Dame will wrap up the regular season on Feb. 22. The 6-foot-8, 225-pound senior hopes to have a decision soon after.
“I’d like to make a decision by the end of February,” he said. “My parents and I are sitting down and putting together our lists. We’ll kind of weigh them together. I’ve seen games and talked to the professors and players and each of the schools. Now it’s just weighing the pros and cons.”
Rader played for the Wisconsin Swing during the travel season.