Even though he’s just a sophomore, Jason Conrad’s athleticism
and 6-9 frame is garnering attention
He’s a 6-foot-9 sophomore from Gilroy High with a size 17 shoe,
who, not surprisingly, is the Central Coast Section’s leader this
year in blocked shots. But what may come as a surprise for fans is
that Jason Conrad only started playing basketball two years
ago.
Today, he is considered by his high school coach as the
”
X
”
factor that could lead the Tri County Athletic League Champion
Mustangs to their first ever CCS title.
Even though he’s just a sophomore, Jason Conrad’s athleticism and 6-9 frame is garnering attention
He’s a 6-foot-9 sophomore from Gilroy High with a size 17 shoe, who, not surprisingly, is the Central Coast Section’s leader this year in blocked shots. But what may come as a surprise for fans is that Jason Conrad only started playing basketball two years ago.
Today, he is considered by his high school coach as the “X” factor that could lead the Tri County Athletic League Champion Mustangs to their first ever CCS title.
“It’s awfully early at this juncture to venture to guess his future in the sport. But he’s fairly athletic and could be something special. I’ve already had five Division I coaches call to talk about him,” said Gilroy High coach Bud Ogden, who played in the NBA. “Any time you get a 6-foot-8 or 6-foot-9 sophomore somebody at that level (Division I NCAA) would be remiss if they didn’t get their ore in the water on this kid. Otherwise, they’d be missing the boat.”
This season the Mustangs center has 103 blocked shots, and has had as many as nine in a single game. The young sophomore’s physical presence on the court compliments the senior-rich squad around him, which includes a core group of players that have been together since they were in grade school.
Although Conrad will still have two full high school seasons after this one to look forward too, his goal of winning a CCS title could be most attainable this season.
“This team has good, good chemistry,” Conrad said. “We’re all like a family. I’ve learned a lot from the seniors, and all of us get along. Bud is like a second dad and coach Jeremy Dirks is like a brother to me. We can win it all if we play tougher as a team, have good defense, and cut down on the little mistakes.”
In addition to his high-school goals of winning CCS and even a state title, Conrad hopes to one day be the league MVP – which is not out of the question, according to his coach.
“His learning curve is really, really steep,” Ogden said. “He gets things real quick. He’s a quick study on most everything.”
Not only is Conrad the best in CCS but he’s also one of the top shot blockers in the state.
“Being tall and having long arms is the key to my shot blocking,” Conrad said. “I’ve got to have good timing too.”
His shot blocking ability has been a big factor in the Mustangs’ success on the court this year.
“We really notice it when he’s not in there,” Ogden said. “People are less likely to post up when he’s in there.”
In addition to his defensive skills, Ogden also points out that for someone his size he handles the ball extremely well.
“He’s got excellent hands,” Ogden said. “He’s made some catches on the run that have really caught my eye.”
Last year he played on the Gilroy High junior varsity squad; but with only a year of experience under his belt and no playing time at the varsity level, his skills appeared trivial to his coach.
“He didn’t get a lot of playing time so I don’t even remember what he did last year,” said Ogden, who stands 6-foot-6. “But he worked hard over the summer and he’s improved ions since then, even since the start of this season.”
Although he’s averaging just under eight points a game, Ogden pointed out shooting is one of his strong suits.
“He can shoot the three-pointer with consistency,” he said. “And he would score more points but in the scheme of the game there aren’t too many 6-foot-9 guys that need to be shooting threes.”
Conrad has also been effective, despite the fact that he is double-teamed night after night. His success can be attributed to his size and athleticism and from what he inherited from his athletically inclined parents.
His mother Karin, who stands 6-foot-2, had such a prowess for volleyball that she received a full scholarship to play at Santa Clara University. And his dad Bill, who stands 6-foot-4, also got a full ride to Santa Clara to play on the Broncos baseball team.
Before basketball, Jason was also interested in playing baseball as well as playing roller hockey.
His first taste of basketball came two years ago when he played for the South County Jammers club team when he was in the eighth grade. At the time he joined the team he was 6-foot-3 and growing rapidly.
“I was so tall that I thought I might as well give it a try,” said Conrad, who is the tallest person at Gilroy High. “Now I enjoy it most. I fell in love with it after I started playing it. I like the rush of everything while the game is going on.”
At the start of this season Conrad was 6-foot-8. He’s grown an inch in the past month. Although he enjoys joking with people and telling them that he is a jockey when they ask if he plays basketball, there have been some disadvantages to his rapid growth. A couple of times this season he has had to miss games and cut back on his playing time as a result of the severe pains that he often gets in his knees from the growth spurts.
“I had my knees X-rayed last month and the doctor told me that my growth plates haven’t closed up yet,” said Conrad. “The pain should go away when I stop growing.”
He’s also had sinus problems and difficulty with his tonsils that have kept him off the court in recent weeks. As a result, he’s dropped some weight and is now about 200 pounds.
“I need to put on some weight and work on my inside game but I’ve been sick for seven weeks. A few weeks ago I had food poisoning, too,” Conrad said.
With still more room for growth, it’s conceivable that he could reach the 6-foot-11 or 7-foot mark, which would automatically raise the interest of NBA scouts.
“Playing in the NBA is pretty much my big goal,” said Conrad. “I want to play [Division I] in college and hopefully make it to the NBA.”
Conrad is fortunate enough to be coached by someone who can help him reach those goals. Beginning in 1969 Ogden, an All-American at Santa Clara University, played for two seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, which ads a great deal of weight with his young apprentice.
“I’m being coached by someone who has been there and knows what he’s talking about – instead of saying it and not experiencing it,” Conrad said.
Ogden knows that to advance deep into the CCS playoffs that his team will have to be firing on all cylinders and that includes Conrad’s presence on the court.
“He’s missed some games from his knee pain and being sick but we’re trying to get him ready for this week,” Ogden said. “I’ve said he’s the X factor. Whatever X factor he is I don’t know. But a good team becomes very good when there’s a 6-foot-9 guy in there. It makes a great deal of difference.”
