Jack Sorenson, a 6-foot-1 senior guard from Lakeville (MN) South, is one of the top shooters in the Midwest in the Class of 2017 and has a preferred walk-on opportunity with the Gophers. He broke the school’s all-time scoring record recently, breaking the mark set by Alex Richter and went over the 2,000 point mark in his career.
Sorenson is averaging 20.1 points per game this season for Cougars, leading them to a 10-9 record, including winning their last five games. He was scored in double figures in 18 of 19 games and has three games of over 30 points and another five games of more than 20 points.
Sorenson comes from an athletic family. His father, John, played at Bloomington Kennedy and older brother Brett, played at Lakeville South and Augsburg.
Gopher Hole caught up with Sorenson after breaking the Lakeville South all-time record talk about the latest on his recruitment and senior season.
Gopher Hole: You not only broke the school’s all-time scoring record tonight, but you went over 2,000 points. How pleased were you with that accomplishment?
Jack Sorenson: I didn’t put much thought into it. I knew that it was getting close, but these last couple of games, people were talking about it. I have give a lot of credit to Coach Sheehan. He is not the coach here anymore, but he believed in me at such a young age. Threw me into the fire when a lot of people questioned that and he let me play all the time at young age and it has kind of paid off. Ever since then, it has been rolling and I am just trying to help the team, the best that I can and helping the team the most is points.
Gopher Hole: You broke Alex Richter’s record (Richter was the Division II Tournament MVP last spring at Augustana). Did you get a chance to see him play much at all?
Jack Sorenson: For sure, all the time growing up. He was a beast. I remember him scoring so many points and he didn’t shoot threes, so that is crazy. We have these career stats in there and he has made way more shots than I have. I just made more threes. He is a great player and was a great player in college, too. We played for the same AAU program and they used to say how no one really thought he could shoot, but he didn’t have to. He was so good inside, but he can definitely shoot now.
Gopher Hole: How nice was it to break the record at home?
Jack Sorenson: That was cool. I had a lot of friends here and the family came here. I was a little nervous because they were playing a little box and one and I only had a couple of shots in the first half. It was good and we got the win.
Gopher Hole: Did Shakopee know that you were close to breaking the scoring record and not want you to break the mark against them?
Jack Sorenson: My coach was telling me to be ready for some weird defenses. I’m sure that some other teams are going to try this from now on to because it worked a little bit.
Gopher Hole: How about your senior season? You guys have had some ups and downs. I was at your game against Wayzata and you were up by one point at halftime, but lost by 30 and you beat Eden Prairie and some good teams. Has that been a little frustrating being a little inconsistent this season?
Jack Sorenson: Our schedule has been crazy. I saw those Czar rankings and we were first for strength of schedule. We played so many good teams, Hopkins, Wayzata, Apple Valley, (Lakeville) North. It just shows that we are not quite there yet, but we have been leading in all those games at half or for half a game, so we just have to keep working and put that together.
Gopher Hole: Do you think playing that tough schedule is going to help you leading into the playoffs?
Jack Sorenson: Now, we have to start winning these games to get some confidence and beat some good teams when we aren’t the underdog. So for sure, it helps.
Gopher Hole: What is the latest on your recruitment right now?
Jack Sorenson: I have been talking to some Division I jucos. I kind of hurt my foot and I still have a bad foot. Some people think that I have a stress fracture. I have to get that checked out after the season and then I am going to see if I can go to the junior college route or some Big Ten schools asked me to walk-on, so we’ll see.
Gopher Hole: What jucos have you heard from?
Jack Sorenson: I talked to Florida Southwestern. They called my dad and said that, just look at all my options and if I wanted to go there, I probably could.
Gopher Hole: Would you maybe go there one year?
Jack Sorenson: They talked about that, too. They said that if I had good enough grades, I could go there for only one year, too. I am probably playing at about 80% now. My foot is bad, so I think that if I got that back, I know what I can do. I know that a lot of people who play with know what I can do, when I am healthy.
Gopher Hole: What other offers do you have? I know that you had a Mississippi offer and some others that aren’t quite there now.
Jack Sorenson: I had South Dakota State, Ball State, George Mason, Portland, Toledo and stuff like that. They all called me and just that in July, I didn’t look as good, but I had a bad foot and it’s still not ready. It is ready to play, but it’s not 100%, so I am going to get that worked out.
Gopher Hole: Is that frustrating a little bit because those coaches see you so much in the summer, but they really don’t see you in the school year?
Jack Sorenson: Yes. It is a small window of time. I played really good for a couple of weekends and then I hurt my foot and I couldn’t move the same. They said I didn’t have as much pop. I didn’t. I couldn’t move as well. That is just how it worked out, but I still think that I can get back up to that level.
Gopher Hole: Minnesota has offered you a preferred walk-on opportunity. What other schools have?
Jack Sorenson: I know that some colleges have told my AAU coach that if I wanted to, I could talk to them like Wisconsin, but I don’t know if my grades are quite good enough for that. They said that if I wanted to do that, I could do that at a lot of schools like Minnesota.
Gopher Hole: Have you talked to Minnesota a lot about that?
Jack Sorenson: Not too much. I have been just playing this season, trying to help this team win. I haven’t really talked to them that much. I think that would be cool, but I haven’t really connected with them.
Gopher Hole: Would that be appealing because you would be able to play in front of your family and friends?
Jack Sorenson: That would be. I think that would be cool. I have got a lot of friends on that team, too. I know a couple of other guys who are on that team who talked to me about coming there and how it would be fun. If they still wanted it that, I think that I would listen to that.
Gopher Hole: Minnesota had a disappointing season last year, but are playing better this year. Does that make you look at them a little more differently?
Jack Sorenson: Yes. It is fun to watch. Those guys are good. They have so many good guards. I know that if I went there, I could probably help them and help them practice and stuff like that and maybe end up playing in a couple of years. Just work on my body and stuff like that. It is fun to watch. They have some good players.
Gopher Hole: They have a guard-related offense and obviously, that is what you play.
Jack Sorenson: Yes. They run and gun. I think that I could help that in a couple of years off the bench.
Gopher Hole: I’m sure that every D3 would love you and you are getting a lot of D2 looks. However, is that the goal to play at that D1 level?
Jack Sorenson: Yes. It has actually been a little bit quiet. I think that most of those schools don’t think I am at that level. Division 2’s are not really talking to me because I have always been higher than that. I think that I am getting better every day. I had to take some time off before the season. I am just starting to get a little bit better. Getting my shot back. In these beginning games, playing all these good teams, I didn’t necessarily play as best as I could, but I am starting to get more confidence and I think that I can get back at that level. That is the goal.
Gopher Hole: Your brother played at a pretty good D3 level. Has that always been the goal to play college basketball at one level or another?
Jack Sorenson: Yes. It has always been what people have told me, too, that they see me at. I think that I can believe in my talents and just keep working and getting better these next couple of years.