Friends' Jon Schmidt headed to Ivy League
Before Jon Schmidt's senior season at the Friends School began, the 6-foot-7, 210-pound forward sat down with Quakers coach Bill Pace to formulate a list of college programs that had piqued his interest.
“We talked about a very small list of schools,” said Pace, a first-year coach at the MIAA B Conference school. “But his educational priorities were [clear]. He knew what he wanted to do.”
What Schmidt – an A student with law-school aspirations – wanted to do was play basketball at an Ivy League school. That goal is now a reality for Schmidt, who will head to Providence, R.I., in the fall to play for Brown.
“It’s just really fantastic,” Schmidt said. “It’s what I’ve wanted since I probably [started] high school. I’ve been working really hard to attain that, and now … I’ve got to work hard, get back in the gym and train so I can play. It’s another motivator for me to keep working hard.”
Schmidt, who averaged about 24 points, 14 rebounds and three assists for the Quakers this winter, committed to the Brown coaches “a couple weeks ago.” But his pledge was firmed up Monday when he received his “likely letter” – which all but assures his acceptance into the school – in the mail.
Ivy League schools cannot offer athletic scholarships, but the Bears’ staff -- led by head coach Jesse Agel and assistant T.J. Sorrentine -- made it clear to Schmidt that he was wanted.
“I think that being a good student definitely helps a lot, but I also think I work pretty hard out there on the court, play very hard, and they like that,” Schmidt said. “I’m a big energizer. I go up against people bigger than me and can still be successful. I think they really saw that.”
Schmidt had hoped to wrap up his recruitment before his high school season started, but a torn hamstring suffered in July sidelined him for the open period of the AAU season. Had Schmidt stayed healthy, he would have served as Nike Baltimore Elite’s starting power forward on the summer circuit. Without that chance to play in front of college coaches, Schmidt entered the school year without a scholarship offer.
Schmidt worked his way back to full strength over the next several months, benefiting from conditioning and plyometric training with Friends’ varsity soccer team. When basketball season started, Schmidt was ready to star for Pace.
“He can handle the ball against the press – not like a point guard, but he can see over the top and make great passes,” Pace said. “But he’s also a dominant rebounder. [For Nike Baltimore Elite], he’s their garbage guy, a double-double guy purely on hustle, offensive rebounds and that kind of stuff. Come back to high school, and he’s our go-to guy. He’s got that workman mentality; bring his lunch pail and hardhat, go to work every day. [I would say], ‘I need you this game to be a purely perimeter player. We’re going to go big, move you over to the 3.’ He can make the adjustment, no big deal, which creates some interesting matchups.”
Pace said he received calls in recent weeks from American, Davidson, Lehigh, Loyola, Quinnipiac and several others regarding Schmidt. The Cornell coaches had also expressed interest in Schmidt at one point, but took a commitment from another forward earlier in the process.
Schmidt, meanwhile, was sold on Brown quickly. The university has a strong Russian program, which Schmidt is interested in studying along with his pre-law curriculum. He also looks forward to helping the Bears – 11-17 this season – eventually contend for Ivy League championships.
“I really loved it [there],” Schmidt said. “It’s a great location, it’s a really good size, and it was just a really great fit for me personally. … I’m excited to be a part of the team.”
