The Basketball Interview…with Jimmy Vollbrecht
Today’s (The) Basketball Interview is Jordan forward Jimmy Vollbrecht who did a great job explaining some his best basketball memories.
At your school, what is your favorite part or parts about game days in terms of the routine leading up to the game?
“My favorite parts of game day starts off right after school when we have a group of guys that go eat a pregame meal, then for home games, our pregame shoot-a-rounds are always fun.”
What makes your crowd unique? What is a memorable thing that they’ve done that you will always remember?
“We believe at Jordan we have the best 2A student section in the state. We get huge turnouts for our size of school and it makes games much more enjoyable for everyone. I have to say my sophomore year our subsection game at New Prague we had our student section behind our bench and it was a sea of white, they were so loud we could hear plays our coach was calling from the sideline.”
Who is the toughest player you can recall playing against in Minnesota basketball and why?
“The toughest player I’ve played against at Jordan would have to be Trae Berhow. Playing against him since 7th grade it’s been fun seeing how much work he’s put into basketball and the emotion he plays with.”
Who is your biggest rival and what about them makes the rivalry both heated and memorable?
“Our biggest rival is Belle Plaine since they are 7 miles away from us and we have a co-op wrestling team with them. I remember my sophomore year we had a charity game for a community member with cancer and the entire gym was filled with no sitting room and that game went into double OT. Just the amount of emotions that comes from those games makes them so fun and unforgettable.”
Who is your favorite basketball player in the world and why?
“I’m a big LeBron fan with the way he competes and never gives up.”
What brand of gear or type of gear are you partial to?
“Nike, it’s definitely the way to go.”
What is your favorite venue to play basketball in that you’ve played in?
“I love playing our subsection games at New Prague, always have huge crowds and there is always more riding on the game knowing one teams season is going to end.”
What team that isn’t on your schedule in Minnesota would you most like to play and why?
“Caledonia, they always seem to put together a great team every year and it’s always fun to play the best.”
Explain the relationship varsity players have at your school with youth players?
“Our relationship with our youth players is something we take a lot of pride in having a family atmosphere. We have our youth traveling teams come watch at least one of our practices every year, and we have our recognition night when we watch a girl’s game where we sit and watch the game with the kids. Also, our summer camp is run by the captains and we develop a lot of great connections with the kids.”
Best coaching advice you’ve received is what and who was it from?
“Never be satisfied and always have fun, one day you’ll miss it” -Yuri Malashenko
Who is your basketball influence?
“My basketball influence would be my dad. He was a wrestler by always pushes me and helps me become a better player.”