Big-Man Interview: JT Rock

Sioux Falls, SD - If you have not heard of the 7-footer from SF Lincoln yet, you will soon enough! JT is a phenomenal player and he is only going to be a sophomore. He showed off his talent in AAU hoops this summer with SD Attack. For being a young player he already has a mature and developed game. Rock can dominate and intimidate around the basket. What makes him special are his feet, IQ, passing ability, soft touch, and shooting range. When you add in his skills, height, smarts, and athletic ability you have a high Division-1 basketball player. Rock currently has a D-1 offer from SDSU. He also has interest from Big-10 schools and many more programs from across the country. Coming up I will get to see him at the Prep Hoops 250 Expo in Sioux Falls. I can not wait to watch him play against the top competition from SD and ND in that event. Get to know [player_tooltip player_id="1265221" first="JT" last="Rock"] in the interview below. The future is bright for Mr. Rock! [player_tooltip player_id="1265221" first="JT" last="Rock"] 7’0 C (2024) || Sioux Falls Lincoln || SD Attack || <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/JT-Rock-crop-3024x1986-1626282909.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1236839" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/JT-Rock-crop-3024x1986-1626282909-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1265695" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/08/JTjumper-crop-1125x739-1629080109-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> SD Attack Boys Program Director Lee Taylor Comments on Rock "In terms of South Dakota, he is the next player coming up with so much potential since [player_tooltip player_id="732175" first="Matthew" last="Mors"] graduated and left for Wisconsin. Big-time talent with a huge upside. 7’0 with the ability to shoot the ball. Going to be fun to see his game develop over the next 3 years." <h2><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/08/JT-crop-870x571-1629078575.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1265672" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/08/JT-crop-870x571-1629078575-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a></h2> <h2>Full Interview</h2> PHD: What do you like better, dunking on someone or blocking a big shot? [player_tooltip player_id="1265221" first="JT" last="Rock"]: I have to say dunking on someone because it gets everyone in the gym excited. PHD: What is the best part about JT’s game? [player_tooltip player_id="1265221" first="JT" last="Rock"]: I think the best part of my game is my ability to stretch the floor. While I can play big in the paint, once the defense starts having two or three guys defend me down low it is the perfect time to step out and hit a three if they don’t follow me out there. PHD: What does JT do for fun outside of basketball? [player_tooltip player_id="1265221" first="JT" last="Rock"]: I enjoy spending time with my family when I can. I am part of the Track and Field team at Lincoln (High Jump), and I try to work as much as I can. I consider myself a “sneakerhead”, I like to learn more about how sneakers are constructed. PHD: Can you talk about the best memory from this summer while playing hoops with SD Attack? [player_tooltip player_id="1265221" first="JT" last="Rock"]: My favorite memory from this summer is when Isaac Jarowski passed me the ball off of a steal that led to an alley-oop dunk. It was a great game for our team. Off the court, we had a few fun team meals. PHD: What was the best city/venue that you played in this summer? JT: Rock: I really enjoyed it when we played in the Hy-Vee Arena in Kansas City. It is a beautiful facility and it feels like you are playing on a bigtime stage because of the atmosphere and the seating being a bowl-shape set-up. PHD: What are your basketball goals for the upcoming season? [player_tooltip player_id="1265221" first="JT" last="Rock"]: I want to help lead the LHS Patriots to a deep postseason run. I would like to be part of a state champion team, and I think this year we have a good shot at achieving that. PHD: What are your long-term goals for basketball? [player_tooltip player_id="1265221" first="JT" last="Rock"]: Right now I am focusing on having a successful high school career, and I would like to play at the collegiate level after graduation. I would love to see where basketball can lead me after college, assuming I can stay healthy. PHD: Do you have a favorite BIG-MAN to watch play and why him? [player_tooltip player_id="1265221" first="JT" last="Rock"]: I like to watch Dirk Nowitzki. I like the way he didn’t have to play bully ball because he had an array of moves to use to get into his signature fadeaway shot. Also, even though he wasn’t the biggest or strongest he could still defend bigger post players. PHD: Who is the best high school basketball team in Sioux Falls? [player_tooltip player_id="1265221" first="JT" last="Rock"]: The Lincoln Patriots, I believe we have a really balanced team this year, we have tons of size with guys like [player_tooltip player_id="812198" first="Caleb" last="Hiatt"] at 6’5”, [player_tooltip player_id="968163" first="Cameron" last="Jackson"] at 6’8”, and myself at 7’0”. We also have excellent guards in [player_tooltip player_id="963749" first="Elliot" last="Whitney"], [player_tooltip player_id="968195" first="Khalil" last="Cisse"], [player_tooltip player_id="968180" first="Gage" last="Gohl"], and [player_tooltip player_id="968200" first="Kyler" last="Dahl"]. PHD: What type of defense do you like better and why, Man or Zone? [player_tooltip player_id="1265221" first="JT" last="Rock"]: I like man better because I prefer having more responsibility for a person rather than an area on defense which keeps me in a better position to help. PHD: Who is your favorite NBA team and why? [player_tooltip player_id="1265221" first="JT" last="Rock"]: My favorite NBA team is the Golden State Warriors. It is so much fun to watch Steph Curry pull up for 3 from 30 feet out and hit it like it’s a practice shot. I think Klay Thompson is an exceptional catch-and-shoot threat. The Warrior’s offense involves so many screens for him and Curry that they just come off of a screen and light teams up from downtown. It was also very fun to watch Kevin Durant be another deadly shooter on that team, and help them to one of the most impressive teams in recent years. PHD: The game is on the line, and you are down by 1 point. Do you want to take the shot or pass it to a teammate? [player_tooltip player_id="1265221" first="JT" last="Rock"]: If I am being double-teamed, I would find my open teammate, but if I have my man one-on-one I would take the shot. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/08/jtdunk-crop-1125x739-1629078420.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1265665" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/08/jtdunk-crop-1125x739-1629078420-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/08/jtjumpers-crop-1125x739-1629081114.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1265720" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/08/jtjumpers-crop-1125x739-1629081114-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>