Jake Healy adding to Loras College鈥檚 basketball success
DUBUQUE, Iowa — Jake Healy is entering his junior season and is ready to bring more of the same energy from his high school playing roots for the Loras Duhawk lineup.
Healy entered college as a student at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. After one semester of studies, he had the urge to get back onto the court and continue his days of playing competitive basketball.
He went back home after one semester to get himself back into basketball shape and put his name in the recruiting ring.
As a two-time All-Conference basketball player at Wheaton-Warrenville South, Healy was able to still have his name out there to a select few colleges in the area to be recruited by.
Keeping his options out on the table was a sure thing, but there were some former high school alumni who had reached out to Healy about playing for Loras College. Loras has had a great track record of recruiting players who are from the western suburban area of Chicago.
鈥淢att Dacy was one of the players that really influenced me to play here,鈥� Healy said. 鈥淚 had already known people that went here and when I wanted to come back to play basketball, he and I were in contact and it definitely factored into my decision.鈥�
Once Healy committed to Loras in early 2019, there would be many firsts for him. This would be the first time in his basketball career where he was playing on a roster of all completely new teammates. He had played with the same players that he had grown up with since third grade travel basketball.
鈥淚t was very different getting used to at first, but it didn鈥檛 take long to adjust,鈥� Healy said. 鈥淚n high school, I played with guys I grew up with, but playing on a team with players you had just met was something different for sure.鈥�
Though playing with new teammates, he had practiced with Dacy before, where he was able to be mentored and prepare for the next level of basketball.
He was able to adjust easily to the college level of basketball, as he was a second team All-Conference player for Loras last season in the American Rivers Conference.
Throughout his career at Loras, Healy has averaged 9.6 points per-game with 4.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. In a shortened season last year, he started all 12 games played and shot 43% from the three-point line and shot 86% from the free-throw line.
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