College Commitment: Jacob Groves (2019 Shadle Park HS)
Photo Credit: Colin Mulvany, The Spokesman-Review
Jacob Groves had a solid summer with Eastern Washington Elite. The still-growing 6-foot-7, 185-pound wing from Shadle Park High School did his thing and schools were intrigued by his blend of size and skill on the perimeter. There was one program he had an eye on from the beginning, so when Eastern Washington recently decided to offer him a scholarship, it was something Groves simply couldn’t refuse.
“I had a meeting with Coach (Shantay) Legans and when he talked about bringing me in, it was tough for me to turn him down,” Groves said. “I’ll be playing Division I basketball with my brother and I’d basically be at home and playing in front of my family and friends. I had known all along that if they offered I’d go with that, so it was easy for me.”
Groves’ brother is Tanner Groves, who redshirted this past season in Cheney. While getting a chance to play with his brother again in front of family and friends was a key factor in his decision, there’s no doubt the fit in terms of basketball was something right up Groves’ alley as well.
“I think it will be a great fit for me,” Groves said. “I know the guys really well as I’ve played in a lot of open gyms there. And their offense – they shoot a lot of threes and that’s what I’m good at. I know when I get there I’ll be in the gym working on my game, getting bigger and stronger.”
Groves noted that after his summer witn Eastern Washington Elite, he had picked up quite a bit of Division II interest and had even earned a couple of offers. But the decision for Eastern Washington was a slam dunk, and now his decision is in the books he’s honing in on his senior year.
“I want to have a better record than last year,” Groves said. “We’re bringing in a brand new coach and we also have a strong junior class coming up. So I’m hoping we have a better record and maybe make a push at state and winning 3A. That would be really good.”
With his decision, Groves joins West Seattle’s Abdul Mohamed as in-state players from the Class of 2019 making a commitment to Eastern Washingotn.