Recruiting Report: Joe Jahner (2019)
In North Dakota’s junior class of talent there is one player with a scholarship offer, Joe Jahner of Bismarck. PHD caught up with Jahner today.
Joe is a 6-foot-1, 190 pound wing widely considered as the top scorer in his class of talent. Joe played with the Adidas sponsored D1 Minnesota 16u club before the regular travel to the Twin Cities became too much to work with this summer.
“The start of the AAU season I played with Minnesota’s D1 top 16u team,” Joe said. “I played half of the season with them but then I had problems getting down there all the time for practice and the tourneys so I had to quit playing with them.
“So then I wasn’t playing AAU for pretty much the rest of the season so all that off time I was in the gym working out. Then ECI asked if I would play with them so I played with them in a tourney and had a good tourney in Minneapolis.
“But the top highlights of the season was probably playing with D1 and playing in the Adidas Gauntlet because there’s a big difference in that level and the level I played at before.
“When we were in Dallas we made it all the way to the finals, and just to be there was awesome and to see all the competition and college coaches that came to watch. But I feel like I have improved a lot over the break when I wasn’t playing AAU because after seeing that level I knew what I needed to work on.”
The eye opening experience playing spring/summer ball at the highest level nationally opened Joe’s eyes to what he needs to do going forward.
“Before basketball starts I want to work on my dribbling because I am a small guard. I need to be great if I want to go to the next level,” Jahner explained.
“Also I want to work on pulling up off the dribble because not many people in North Dakota can guard that but also not enough people can do that. But in general I want to work on my whole game through out!”
Jahner was the leading scorer for Bismarck last season at 12.5 points per game. As a sophomore on varsity he shot 36 plus percent at the arc, nearly 73 percent at the foul line, and grabbed six rebounds a contest. Jahner and Ian Schafer will be a great pair leading Bismarck this winter.
“We have almost every player coming back from last year, and players coming up, so I think if we all work together and the team is fluent then we have a chance to go along way,” Jahner said.
“Personally I think we have a state champion team if we can all play good together! People might look at us as an underdog, but really we’re not, we’re just as good as the best teams if not even better.”
Jahner talked earlier about playing with ECI and leading that team to the finals of the Adidas Prospect Series championship game. Not much longer after that weekend Jahner was offered a scholarship by U of Mary.
“Honestly I was shocked more then anything because they’ve never contacted me or anything,” Joe said about the offer. “And I’m pretty sure they only saw me play in one tourney and the next day they offered me.
‘They might’ve seen me play during school basketball but I’m not sure. But I’m just honored and blessed that I have received an offer from them and hopefully more come down the road.
Joe is a very talented playmaker and athlete so others are also calling.
“College coaches text me here and there such as Southwest Minnesota State, Jamestown, Sioux Falls, Augustana, Williston State, Denver, and more.”
Jahner’s basketball influence comes from within his own family.
“Probably the biggest influence I had playing basketball was my uncle DJ,” Joe said. “He played division one college basketball so he knows what it takes to play at that level.
“He taught me a lot about the game and showed me things that I needed to know. Also all my coaches that I’ve had in the past play a big part on the player I am today, especially the head coach Jordan Wilhelm at BHS (played for University of Mary).
“He’s always there for me on and off the court if I need him and always willing to help me get to the next level.”
That is the local influence. When it comes to the national level Jahner has a pair of favorites.
“My favorite hooper of all time is Kobe Bryant! I try to have the same mentality that he has, he’s just a beast in every way.
“If I’d like to play like anyone, it would probably be Russell Westbrook, because he’s so explosive and can pass and score and do it all. I have a lot of basketball players I like but those two are the ones that stand out to me.”