Clarkston High School's star big man Josh Heytvelt wasn't exactly an unknown when he began his spring/summer hoops season, but by the time August rolled around and all the camps and tournaments were over Josh had become a highly sought-after commodity.
Despite living 300 miles from Seattle, Josh joined Adam Sedlick's Seattle Rotary Select AAU team and immediately made an impression last spring in Houston. His inside-outside game continued to flourish and grow as summer began and TheFinalScore.tv Tournament, Las Vegas Big Time Tournament and the Elite Eight Tournament in Oakland came around.
Heytvelt drew raves from coaches and recruiting scouts from coast to coast. He was dunking, he was burying treys, he was blocking shots, running the floor, bringing the ball up and juking guards. By the end of July, Prepwesthoops.com's Tracy Pierson called Josh a top-40 national prospect. Josh had earned All-Tournament honors for the 350-team Big Time Tournament in Vegas.
When CatTrack.net's Brad Allis told fellow CatTrack reporter Ben Hansen that Heytvelt told him Gonzaga was the team to beat, we knew it was time to get to know this rising junior. When Josh graduates from high school, Gonzaga will be graduating big men Cory Violette and Richard Fox. (Zach Gourde will be gone the year before.) So, Heytvelt finds himself as a top priority for Gonzaga in the class of 2004. With 6'6" David Pendergraft of Brewster already committed to GU from the class of 2004, adding the Clarkston standout would be huge.
Zags Hoops caught Josh Heytvelt a few days after his return from the final tourney of the summer. Josh is a man of few words, letting his actions do most of his talking. The son of a firefighter (father) and school teacher (mother) took some time out to chat.
ZH: Tell us where you were born and raised, and tell us what your parents currently do?
JH: I was born in Lewiston, ID, and was raised in Clarkston, WA, and I've lived in the same house my entire life.
ZH: When did you start playing organized basketball? Which came first, hoops or baseball?
JH: I started playing basketball and baseball as far back as I can remember.
ZH: Have you tinkered with the idea of playing both basketball and baseball at the college level? Have you ever met Gonzaga baseball coach Steve Hertz?
JH: Yeah, it has always been a dream of mine to play both basketball and baseball at the collegiate level. No, I have never met coach Steve Hertz yet.
ZH: What are your strengths in basketball and what do you consider to be your weakest area? What’s your favorite offensive play and your favorite defensive play?
JH: My strengths are my rebounding and defensive ability and my weak points are my back-to-the-basket offense and dribbling. My favorite offensive play is a big alley-oop dunk and my favorite defensive play is blocking a big dunk.
ZH: You’re currently 6’9”, is that right? Do you see yourself growing to 6’11” or possibly 7’? You seem to be just as comfortable playing outside and popping the occasional trey as you are inside banging. Do you like the perimeter more than inside?
JH: I know I am still growing and I don't know when I'm going to stop. I prefer the outside but the occasional baby hook or the drop-step dunk on the inside doesn't bother me at all.[smiles]
ZH: What colleges are you hearing from the most, Josh?
JH: Florida, Gonzaga, UW, USC, Idaho, Oregon, Marquette, Wake Forest and Stanford.
ZH: Arizona’s website reported at the Big Time that you said Gonzaga was the school to beat for you right now. Is that true?
JH: I really don't know which college I want to go to. It all depends on the situation and if the school has a chance at winning a National Championship in the next four years.
ZH: What are you looking for in a college and what factors do you think will ultimately play into your decision? Do you have an idea of when you’d like to commit?
JH: If the school has the chance at a National Chamionship, the type of people the players and coaches are, and I don't think I will commit until early my senior year or until the time seems right.
ZH: What’s your GPA, and have you thought about what academic field you’d like to major in?
JH: I have a 3.0 GPA. I would like to pursue a career in sports, even if it's not playing, so I would like to major in something like Sports Management.
ZH: Tell us what you enjoy doing in Clarkston when you’re not playing basketball.
JH: I fish, play baseball, work on my car, and hang out with friends.
Clarkston High School was in the Frontier League but this coming year Clarkston will join the Greater Spokane League as a 3A member, so Zag fans can catch Josh Heytvelt rattling rims, bombing treys and cleaning the glass in GSL gyms on several occasions this coming season when the Bantoms come to Spokane.
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