Prospect Spotlight: Jake Wihtol (2021 Tigard)

<p>Last season <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1069466" first="Jake" last="Wihtol"]</strong> was a bit under the radar. The versatile 6-foot-5, 200-pound forward/wing was one of [player_tooltip player_id="606254" first="Drew" last="Carter"]’s supporting cast members at Tigard High School and was solid in playing his role. But over the past few months, Wihtol has seen his stock rise while playing with Elite 24. He’s picked up his first college offer and he couldn’t be happier, especially considering the circumstances.</p> <p>"It’s definitely been different although better in a way," Wihtol said. "Playing with E24 has got me more exposure in the last few months than I have ever got, and I feel like they have helped me expand on my game a lot which has led to talks with college coaches. Working out has been a little harder because the gym I workout with is 25 minutes away with my coach so I am a lot more invested in basketball and dedicating more time to it."</p> <p>Wihtol also noted that he’s also been able to work out with his Tigard high school team in outdoor workouts and is looking forward to getting back into the gym with them soon. Overall this off-season, he’s focused on getting better at certain parts of his game.</p> <p>"My 3 point shot and ball handing have probably improved the most," Wihtol said. "I am now comfortable getting a rebound and taking it all the way up the court and pushing the ball if needed. My three-point shot has gotten much better which makes me way more comfortable around the perimeter and gives me more options with the ball in my hand."</p> <p>Playing with Elite 24, he’s been able to show off these skills against some good competition in a number of tournaments, including one where his Grey team won their bracket. He’s a versatile player that runs the floor well, can score both around the hoop and out to the three-point line, and works hard on the glass. Thanks to his play some college programs have reached out including one that has given him his first roster spot offer.</p> <p>"I have one offer from Cornell College and then, I have been talking to Knox College as well," Wihtol said. "Both of these sparked after my last tournament. Based on what I have seen online I think they are both nice schools."</p> <p>In fact, Wihtol is planning on getting a closer look at Cornell (which is located in Mount Vernon, Iowa) this upcoming week with a campus visit. Overall, he’s keeping all of his options open, hoping to find something that fits him both on and off the floor. "When looking at a college, I want a program that has a good coach, teammates that are wanting to succeed, and preferably a pretty quick moving offense where I can play more than one position," he said.</p> <p>As he looks to finish out club ball play with Elite 24, he’s looking forward to what he hopes is a great senior season with the Tigers. "I think that at Tigard we have a lot of talent that people don’t know about," Wihtol said. "I think that we will be better than people expect and I’m definitely looking forward to it if it happens."</p> <p>Wihtol carries a 3.65 unweighted GPA and is currently ranked as the #96 player in the PrepHoops Oregon Class of 2021 rankings.</p> <p>[video width="640" height="360" mp4="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/02/Phoenix-2.mp4"][/video]</p>