Jack Janicki, a 6-foot-4, 180-pound junior guard from White Bear Lake (MN) High, is ranked as the number three player in the state in the Class of 2023. He has a strong spring and summer with the D1 Minnesota AAU 16-and-under program.
Janicki is averaging 24.7 points per game this season for White Bear Lake, scoring in double figures in 11 of 13 games. He has had seven games of 20 to 29 points and four more games of more than 30 points including a season-best 39 versus Andover. Janicki went over 1,000 points in that contest.
Janicki averaged 19.7 points per game last season for White Bear Lake, scoring in double figures in 18 of 19 games. He had five games of 20 to 29 points and three more games of more than 30 points, including a season-best 39 versus Stillwater.
GopherHole caught up with Janicki after their game at Cretin-Derham Hall Thursday to learn more about his recruitment and junior season.
GopherHole: You have junior ladened team with five junior starters and you are learning together. How do you think that is going to pay off in the future?
Jack Janicki: Well. I’ve been playing with these guys for eight years. A long time. A lot of teams have obviously seen a lot of transfers, but I feel with staying with these guys, it might take a little bit longer, but I feel like our chemistry will get us there. Obviously, we are still struggling with guy’s confidence, but we are ten games in and a lot of these guys haven’t played varsity. The games that we lose by six in January, we can win in March. That’s the plan.
GopherHole: You went over 1,000 points recently. What was that feeling like?
Jack Janicki: It’s always fun to get that, but with the work that I do and the time I spend in the summer, that wasn’t a surprise, but it is still nice to be recognized for accomplishments, but now, it’s win more games and hopefully get to 2,000 next year.
GopherHole: Did you even know that you were close?
Jack Janicki: I was aware, but I didn’t say anything to my teammates, because that’s not really what it’s about. We actually had a big comeback game when I got the 1,000. We came back and won a big one against Andover. That was probably the best day of our season so far.
GopherHole: Have you gotten a chance to go to any college basketball games? I know that you went to quite a few football games in the fall.
Jack Janicki: College basketball games, I’ve been to one Loyola game, but it is so hard, especially with not a lot of officials (visits) in a junior year and I am still racking up offers and not a lot of people are throwing out officials right now and obviously, a schedule of just five practices a week. I work on the weekend, refereeing basketball. As the spring rolls around and the schedule opens up a little bit here and there and before AAU starts, I’ll definitely get out to see some games.
GopherHole: Do you like refereeing games?
Jack Janicki: No. I do it for the money. Got to get some shoes.
GopherHole: Does that make you more patient with refs in real games now?
Jack Janicki: I’ve never had a big issue with complaining about refs, to be honest. Today, they were pretty good. I just don’t think that refs ever dictate a game enough. Refereeing sixth grade boy’s basketball is a lot different than out here. I don’t take it that seriously.
GopherHole: How many offers are you up to right now?
Jack Janicki: Five. Wake Forest, St. Thomas, Loyola, Toledo and Colorado State. Colorado State has had a really good year, so I should probably get out to see a game there.
GopherHole: They were actually undefeated until they lost to San Diego State last weekend.
Jack Janicki: That was a tough one going to play at San Diego State, but they’ll get back. They are a pretty good team.
GopherHole: Are you following those teams a little bit more now?
Jack Janicki: I’ve always followed college basketball really closely, just as a fan. With those five teams, I get texts when it’s game day and I’m definitely checking out teams that have offered me and have interest in me. A lot of those teams are actually overperforming this year. Wake Forest is playing really well. They are one of the better teams in the ACC, as of right now. It’s is obviously a long schedule. Colorado State has been really good. Loyola is always going to win a lot of games. Toledo is pretty good in the make and St. Thomas is just getting started, so all five teams have been pretty interesting to watch this year.
GopherHole: A few of those teams have connections to Minnesota or the Midwest. Toledo’s head coach used to be at Green Bay. Colorado State’s coach has Minnesota ties. Wake Forest’s coach has Iowa ties.
Jack Janicki: Everywhere seems to have some connection to the Midwest, because it is a basketball state now.
GopherHole: When you watch games now, do you watch them a little differently than maybe you did a year or two ago now that you are thinking about colleges?
Jack Janicki: When I watch NBA, I feel like I am watching as a fan and I am watching my favorite players, but when I watch college basketball, even before I got offers and now, especially that I am looking at schools, I feel like play style is a lot more noticeable in different conferences with different coaches and different players at different type of schools. Now that I’m a recruit, I’m paying more attention to that.
GopherHole: Do you have a favorite NBA team?
Jack Janicki: Celtics. Always been the Celtics. My favorite player is Marcus Smart.
GopherHole: How about college? Do you have a favorite team or favorite player?
Jack Janicki: Not right now, no.
GopherHole: Do you mostly watch guards?
Jack Janicki: I would that the guard play stands out to me the most, for sure. Even if I was 6-10, I’d like watching point guards more than I like watching bigs.
GopherHole: You are known as a shooter, but you had some great passes tonight. They double teamed you a lot and you were able to find the open guy. Is that something that you take pride in, because people are going to think of you as a scorer, but you are more than that?
Jack Janicki: That is something that has kind of bothered me. I’m changing it, but I’ve always been perceived as just a sharp shooter, but whenever I’ve been playing high school basketball, I’ve led the team in points, assists, rebounds and steals. I will say in AAU when your role is a little bit different, some people just have to change their role on a team full of superstars, so I shoot more a little bit in AAU and just float a little more, but I’ve never been a three-point specialist, I would say.
GopherHole: How about the homestate school? Have you seen a lot of the Gophers at all?
Jack Janicki: I’ve been watching them. They are kind of outdoing their expectations, considering it is a brand new year with a lot of transfers. Definitely watched them.
GopherHole: To be honest, a lot of fans have been surprised, too.
Jack Janicki: I can’t say I’m surprised, because I feel that Ben Johnson is young and energetic. The conference play will be hard, but I feel like they can squeeze out some wins and be better than people thought that they were going to be.
GopherHole: I know that you were thinking about trying to go to a game. Have you talked to the staff at all?
Jack Janicki: No, I haven’t really been talking to them much. I’ll have to do that sometime.