Recruiting Report: Zack Paulsen (2019)
After a big summer on the 16U grassroots circuit, Curtis guard Zack Paulsen has established himself as an up-and-coming guard in Washington.
He’s been fielding calls from several Division I programs since the conclusion of the grassroots season, and says getting that first offer is a big goal right now.
“I’ve been talking to Eastern Washington on a regular basis, a couple of their guys. I’ve talked to Seattle U quite a bit, Santa Barbara, and then a couple smaller colleges in California. Also, San Diego a little bit,” said Paulsen.
“It’s (recruitment) definitely on my mind, I think about it quite a bit. But I don’t want to think about it too much, I just want to play, and I know it will come.”
He added: “Obviously, the goal is to get a scholarship offer; D1, D2, NAIA, just getting that first one will be a big relief.”
Paulsen has been working relentlessly to get his jumper to where he wants it to be. And he’s improved in several areas of his game since last season, making him a truly diverse threat on the floor.
“I’ve really been working on my shot lately, before when we talked (last March) it was super inconsistent. So I’ve been getting up like 500 shots every day, trying to get my shot more consistent,” said Paulsen.
“I’ve been working on my ball-handling, and being able to bring the ball up and down the court. And then scoring off the dribble. I was able able to score before, but it would be off cuts or 3s, so now I feel like I can score more consistently.”
This spring and summer, with Washington Supreme 16U, Paulsen says was really when he was able to showcase himself.
“It was really good. In the summer we started to gel and everyone was playing well,” he said. “We went to Atlanta for the Under Armour finals, and that’s when we took off. I played really well down there, which was good.”
Now, he heads into a junior year, where he hopes to see his stock continue to rise.
“My goal is to get MVP of the league, which I think is a reasonable goal,” said Paulsen. “I’m going to have a huge role on this team, it’s my job to make everyone else better around me while still scoring,”