Prospect Spotlight: Jacob Bolger (2019 Cleveland HS)
He may not start games but Jacob Bolger has been finishing them. The athletic 6-foot-5, 180 pound forward has been a key contributor coming off of the bench for Cleveland and he was huge on Monday night against Benson. Bolger…
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Continue ReadingHe may not start games but Jacob Bolger has been finishing them. The athletic 6-foot-5, 180 pound forward has been a key contributor coming off of the bench for Cleveland and he was huge on Monday night against Benson. Bolger ended the night with 12 points but none may have been bigger than a dunk in the latter stages of the fourth quarter, helping the Warriors end a three-game winning streak and keeping themselves in the post-season conversation.
“Our past few games have been pretty rough so we knew we needed to come out fighting and get this win,” Bolger said. “We needed to get back on the streak we were at the beginning of the season. This one feels great.”
Bolger is an athletic forward who can be active on both sides of the ball. He was tough around the basket against Benson but also showed the ability to step out and hit perimeter shots. One may wonder how an athletic big man at the high school level is coming off the bench, but Bolger knows his role and plays it well.
“Coming off the bench I have some pretty good stats,” Bolger said. “We start a full lineup of guards and I’m usually the sixth man to come in and when we need a big man, that’s what I’m there for. I’ve gotten a heck of a lot better in getting the ball in the middle and using my jump hooks and my moves.”
Because of his athleticism and versatility, schools have been intrigued with Bolger since the summer. While he noted some interest from the likes of Pacific and Lewis & Clark has fallen off a bit, the senior does continue to receive a lot of interest from local NWAC schools.
“My top three are probably right now are Clark, Clackamas, and Chemeketa,” Bolger said. “My next step is to come off of community college and go to D2 – that’s what my hope is. I’m looking for a good group of guys who are so supportive of each other. I want a family and I want to be close to my teammates.”
Bolger isn’t looking to make any decisions until after the season – one in which he hopes lasts past the end of the regular season. “If we get into playoffs we’re going to try as hard as we can,” Bolger said. “I think we have a good shot at getting to the playoffs, we just need to win our next three games.”
Bolger currently ranks as the #81 player in the PrepHoops Oregon Class of 2019 rankings.