One-on-One With Orangeville Prep’s Jalen Poyser
By Ryan Greco
One-on-One With Orangeville Prep’s Jalen Poyser
He’s had one of the most hectic routes to the NCAA, but come September, Jalen Poyser will finally have achieved the next step he needs to take to make it to the NBA.
But just before he suits up for the Runnin’ Rebels of UNLV, there is still some business to attend to here at home. Namely, the first annual Biosteel All Canadian High School All-Star Game, being held tomorrow night at Maple Leaf Gardens at the Mattamy Athletics Center here in Toronto.
I sat down for a brief conversation with the former Findlay Prep guard, and current member of Athlete Institute’s Orangeville Prep Team, and talked about what it meant to be a part of this game, the challenges he faces on the road to the NBA, and what the Canadian grassroots programs and high schools can do to help continue this abundance of talent grow.
Ryan Greco: Thank you for taking the time to speak with us today.
Jalen Poyser: My pleasure.
RG: We’ll get this out of the way right off the bat, the Biosteel game, talk to me on what it means to be a part off the first ever All Canadian High School All Star game, and being given the national shine that most of your teammates can now enjoy that they couldn’t before given the amount of loaded talent in the Mc Donald’s high school all American.
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JP: It’s a blessing to be picked as one of the top players in Canada and to be a part of this. I feel like it’s a great opportunity for a lot of these players that are being selected to play in front of a large crowd, and I think that it’s big for Canada.
A lot of these kids dream to play in these kinds of big games like the Mc Donald’s All-American, and a lot of them just don’t get the opportunity to play because all of the American talent that play in those games.
I mean, the Biosteel game is just a great opportunity for these guys [who normally wouldn’t] to get a chance to showcase their abilities in front of NBA scouts, and on TV to the country, so it’s just something big.
“Orangeville Prep is starting something new here, but given time, I believe we could be one of the Findlay Preps in America and Canada, that’s really it.” – Jalen Poyser
RG: Now that you have already declared to UNLV, walk us through the process that it took for you to decide that is where you wanted to be for college.
JP: A few years ago I went to Findlay Prep, and the head coach their during my time stay at that school eventually left for the job at UNLV. So when I got the offer from them, I had already had the relationship with one of the coaches there, and with their pipeline of talent that they’ve sent to the NBA in the past like Anthony Bennett for example, they have a history of sending Canadian players to the NBA.
That was one of the main reasons I picked that school. They have the same vision for me, I want to make it to the NBA when I get older. They have told me I can get in there [UNLV], I can get big minutes, I can impact the game as soon as I get there, and that’s what any kid wants to hear when they go to college. They want to step on campus and play right away, and that was one of my big reasons for selecting that college.
RG: I’m glad you brought up Findlay Prep, because that seems to have had a big role in the type and level of player that you are today. Describe to me the main difference between attending a top flight Prep school like Findlay and here in Orangeville.
“That was one of the main reasons I picked that school. They have the same vision for me, I want to make it to the NBA when I get older. They have told me I can get in there [UNLV], I can get big minutes, I can impact the game as soon as I get there, and that’s what any kid wants to hear when they go to college. They want to step on campus and play right away, and that was one of my big reasons for selecting that college.” – Jalen Poyser
JP: Well the first thing off the top is Findlay has been around for a very long time, and Orangeville Prep has only been around for two years. Findlay is a powerhouse in basketball based off of the amount of guys they have sent to the NBA, including a few Canadians. Orangeville Prep is starting something new here, but given time, I believe we could be one of the Findlay Preps in America and Canada, that’s really it.
RG: Do you feel any extra sense of patriotism now that you have the Maple Leaf on your shirt and that you are playing for a prep school that basically represents Canada?
JP: Yeah, now that I’m home and closer to family, you can feel that you not only represent just yourself or your school, but Canada. We have become the powerhouse school of the whole country, not just Ontario.
RG: In your opinion, what could minor basketball programs and high schools do more to help guys of your talent, who will be playing for those organizations in the coming years?
JP: Developing players and sticking to growing the athletes in their communities, that’s going to be one of the biggest things moving forward.
RG: Thank you for the time.
JP: Thank you for having me!
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