Boden Kapke, a 6-foot-11 junior from Victoria (MN) Holy Family Catholic, is one of the top Midwest big men in the Class of 2023. He became the third in-state player from the Class of 2023 to receive a scholarship offer from Minnesota last fall and attended the Gopher football game versus Bowling Green.
Kapke is averaging 27.1 points and 14.3 rebounds per game this season, scoring in double figures in all 23 games. He has 20 games of 20 points or more points, including a career-high and school record 43 against Southwest Christian. Holy Family is currently 11-12.
Kapke averaged 16.2 points and 11.2 rebounds per game this past season as a sophomore, scoring in double figures in 15 of 17 games. He had five games of 20 points or more points, including a season-high 26 against Waconia and Breck. Holy Family finished 9-10, losing to Minneapolis North 84-47 in the Section 5AA finals.
GopherHole caught up with Kapke recently after his game versus Park of Cottage Grove and Minnesota commit Pharrel Payne to learn the latest on his recruitment and current season.
GopherHole: You guys got off to a little bit of a slow start, going just 2-5 in the first seven games, but have been playing better lately. You had a couple of tough losses this week. How are you feeling about how the teams is playing so far this year?
Boden Kapke: I think that we’re just shooting with more confidence from the perimeter. Most teams are packing it in and then we can just kick it out. Everybody’s shooting with confidence, so that is helping us.
GopherHole: How about your game last night? You lost a tough one, but set the all-time scoring record with 43 points?
Boden Kapke: Teammates were just finding me. I was open and I was feeling it. We all played a good game. It just didn’t end our way.
GopherHole: Did you realize how many points you had?
Boden Kapke: Not really. I kind of just focused on the game.
GopherHole: You picked up a recent offer from Wake Forest. I think that you have five offers right now from Minnesota, Iowa, Loyola, Xavier and Wake Forest. Does that sound right?
Boden Kapke: Yes.
GopherHole: What other schools are you hearing from besides those five?
Boden Kapke: Iowa State is one of them.
GopherHole: Do you think that they might be close to offering you?
Boden Kapke: I’m not sure where we are really in that process, but we’ll just feel it out.
GopherHole: Are you liking the recruiting process? I know that it is difficult with COVID and not being able to go to as many places as you would like or coaches being able to see you, but are you liking it so far?
Boden Kapke: Oh, yeah. It’s cool, seeing some of the campuses and atmospheres. That’s fun.
GopherHole: Have you had a chance to go to any college basketball games lately?
Boden Kapke: I went to the Wisconsin-Minnesota game and the Minnesota-Iowa game, so that was fun.
GopherHole: What do you gain from those experiences? Does that make it seem more real that it could be you in a couple of years?
Boden Kapke: Oh, yeah. For sure. You can just see that and get to feel the atmosphere, so that’s cool.
GopherHole: Do you watch a lot of games now that you are thinking about colleges?
Boden Kapke: Yes. I’m just trying to see how they would use me and how I would fit in.
GopherHole: Are there certain players that are your size or position that you watch for more or do you just watch the game in general?
Boden Kapke: I just try to look at the big men and see how they could use me in the offense, but no one really in particular.
GopherHole: Do you have a favorite college player that you like to watch?
Boden Kapke: Not really.
GopherHole: I know it is still a ways before you make your college choice, but what are going to be the main factors that are going to make you pick School A over School B or C?
Boden Kapke: Academics is big. The feel of the college and the basketball.
GopherHole: You are playing for D1 Minnesota again this spring and summer. You are expected to be one of the better teams in the Midwest. What are the expectations and hopes to get some more looks and gain more experience playing AAU?
Boden Kapke: I’m just excited to play with that group of guys. They are a good group of guys. They draw a lot of attention, so I’m excited to play in some big games.
GopherHole: You got a chance to play against a good big man, which you don’t always get to see on a regular basis. What was it like to play another quality big man?
Boden Kapke: That was fun, going up against it. Felt more of an AAU type of style with that matchup, but it was fun. It was mire physical than you normally get with a smaller guy.