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Downers Grove North senior forward Jack Mielke relied on his instincts to help finalize his future basketball home.
Mielke said he visited nine different schools over the last four months, but his lone visit to Southern Indiana piqued his interest.
The 6-foot-7, 220-pounder stuck with his instincts, committing to Southern Indiana on Sunday afternoon.
“I don’t know how to explain it, but on my visit to the University of Southern Indiana, it just felt right,” Mielke said. “They have a really nice arena and locker room, but something about it just felt right and at the end of the day, I trust that feeling.”
As a junior, Mielke had a breakout season by averaging nearly 15 points per game. Mielke gained 15 pounds during the offseason and was on track for a memorable season before Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced winter sports was put on pause in early November.
Rather than wait until the season started and possibly gain more interest from schools, Mielke said he was ready to end his recruitment. Southern Indiana, a Division II member, finished with a 22-8 record last season.
“I just felt it was time for a decision to be reached,” Mielke said. “I felt really good about Southern Indiana and with all the uncertainty I wanted to make sure I wasn’t counting on things that may or may not happen.
“It wasn’t a super hard decision to not wait out the season because there’s so much uncertainty about whether or now we will even have a season to begin with. I felt like I had an option that I was extremely about and thought it would be best to secure that future.”
Downers Grove North coach James Thomas said Mielke transformed his game since the end of his junior season.
“He can now post up smaller guys and take bigger guys off the dribble,” Thomas said. “He takes advantage of mismatches. His feet are now faster and he’s more explosive to the rim. College coaches love how he shoots the ball and communicates on the floor.”
Buzelis heading out East
The Hinsdale Central boys basketball program suffered a major loss last week.
Sophomore point guard Matas Buzelis was slated to be a major contributor for the Red Devils after a standout showing in AAU this summer and early fall.
Buzelis had yet to play on the varsity level, but picked up offers from Illinois, Syracuse, Wake Forest and Western Illinois to go with interest from numerous Division I schools.
The 6-7 Buzelis changed course by electing to transfer to Brewster Academy in New Hampshire. Buzelis said he was attracted to Brewster’s elite program – seven national prep championships in 10 years – and his desire to play basketball.
“The main reason I’m transferring is there’s nothing going on with basketball here,” Buzelis said. “Brewster Academy is playing. I just want to play. I’ve been talking to Brewster Academy – for about two months. It just felt like the right decision.
“They showed a lot of support to me, and they are really nice people. I’ve talked to Coach (Jason) Smith on Zoom a couple of times. He showed me the school and what it looks like, and how the training sessions work.”
Through the years, Steve Pratt, the founder of AAU Full Package, has watched Buzelis become an elite player.
“Matas is very talented, has got a natural feel of the game with his ball in his hands,” Pratt said. “He’s bouncy and a very skilled player. It’s been fun to see him work hard and become a good player.”
Extra notes: Fenwick senior point guard Dane Brazil committed Sunday to Saint Mary's University in Minnesota…Former York boys basketball coach Vince Doran was selected into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame Class of 2020 as a player. Doran, who played at Addison Driscoll High School and Elmhurst College, stepped down from his coaching position at York in the spring.