Call 6-foot-3 combo guard Jeremy Silver's hoops life one driven by hard work and intentionality, alongside dashes of serendipity. Yes, he established a specific goal, put in extra effort to achieve it and now he is headed to Doane University in Nebraska to study and play college hoops. But it's not a just a question of why the choice of Doane but how did he end up at his chosen school/basketball program and what role did his own promotional efforts pave such a path?
After earning honors at various exposure camps, Silver sent out video of his hoops highlights to a number of schools that piqued his interest. Doane was one of his selected group. Among others, the Doane coaching staff responded positively to what they witnessed and Silver followed up with an unofficial visit. It might as well been an official since its thoroughness included meeting the coaching staff and learning about the program plus touring the campus and the school.
Driven by enchantment, Silver committed two weeks later. "I loved the school and the atmosphere of the basketball program and its player development component. It was all what I've worked for my whole life."
Silver will be playing his senior season at Monte Vista Christian High in Watsonville, having transferred over from Palma High in Salinas. His top on-the-court attributes are "I shoot the ball really well and create for others. I make things happen but, best of all, I play the right way." For him, that means practicing hard, playing hard, taking no shortcuts and displaying zero selfishness. Asked for any goals in his initial season in Nebraska, Silver offered, "I want to contribute to winning."
Asked for his best basketball moments, Silver said, "I had a lot of good ones, like a 30-point game when we were down by 15 and came back to win but what I remember the most is just being in the gym, practicing with my teammates." Words spoken by someone who appreciates the game as well as the camaraderie and resulting relationships that often come with it.
Besides his basketball plaudits, Silver sports a 4.3 grade point average, meaning he has earned only A's during his high school education which includes AP honors classes. This achievement is an example of his making it happen because his impressive GPA both grabs the attention of college coaches and immediately assures them that there will be no academic/eligibility issues once Silver is in college.
To the next to impossible to fully answer query of who he would like to thank for assistance on his basketball journey, he said, "my Mom and Dad. My Mom drove me to so many practices and games and my Dad, who played at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, taught me to shoot a basketball. We would shoot in parks and under streetlights, anywhere there was a hoop." Silver also offered thanks to Joseph Lampkin, Monte Viste Christian's first-year boys basketball who is coming over from Oakwood School in Morgan Hill. "He'll open the gym at 6:00 a.m.when I want to get in extra pratice."
Silver will be a business administration major but isn't sure what direction he will take within that spectrum.
So why basketball for Silver, who participated in most sports as a youth? "I loved basketball but honestly didn't know why." It eventually came to him. "This is where I am happiest."