Prospect Spotlight: Brad Winter (2019)
Brad Winter is a 2019 player for Winona H.S./Minnesota Select. His mom, Toni, has worked for the Saint Mary’s University athletic department for years and years. His dad, Ray, has had coaching stints with SMU women’s basketball and elsewhere in the area. His sister started 26 games for Saint Mary’s as a freshman.
Sports run in the family, obviously.
Brad put up nearly 12 PPG per game for Winona as a 6-foot-6 junior. Now he and Jake Reeck drive from Winona to play with Select, a decision that both guys are really glad about.
“It’s going really well,” Brad said. “I love the guys who I’m playing with, and our team is still improving. It’s improving really fast with no sign of slowing down — it’s been really fun.”
He noted that between himself, Luke Barnes (Roosevelt) and Brendan Kauls (Mounds View), they can switch between guarding the other team’s biggest kid. That allows guys like Brad to operate from the wing more, showing his versatility.
Brad’s length, skill and progression are all that of a college prospect. But he hasn’t thought about the next level too much, at least not yet.
“It’s still the start of our AAU season, so I’m more just focused on playing my game and doing the things that I can do in order to get coaches looking for me,” he said.
“I have had St. John’s and St. Olaf reach out to me. Winona State invited me to their elite camp, but I would love the opportunity to play at the highest level possible.”
One of the greatest benefits of working at a college is the free tuition for dependents. Saint Mary’s is in a network of Catholic and private schools that share tuition benefits, often up to a full ride (although every school’s benefits are different). Others in the network locally include St. John’s and St. Thomas.
“Having my mom work at SMU is really nice because of those discounts, and I would really have to look more into some of these schools before deciding.”