Triton College forward Pat Suemnick bet on himself, will play at West Virginia next year
RIVER GROVE, Ill. (BVM) 鈥� This past November, Pat Suemnick turned a dream into reality and signed a national letter of intent to play basketball at West Virginia University.
鈥淚t was a dream come true,鈥� Suemnick said. 鈥淲hen I had entered the transfer portal last year, I didn鈥檛 know if I would play Division I basketball again.鈥�
It has been a long and winding road to Morgantown. The 6-foot-8 forward for Triton College has played for three different teams in as many years all in the pursuit of the right fit at the Division I level. The journey was hard and there were plenty of opportunities to settle for something less, but Suemnick believed in himself and got that validation when he signed his NLI.
鈥淏eing able to really sign that and be shown that I made the right decision,鈥� Suemnick said. 鈥淏y betting on myself, I wasn鈥檛 crazy, I actually might have known that I had some ability. It was reassuring for sure.鈥�
Every decision Suemnick has made since leaving Denmark High School has been based on the idea that he could make it.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 what got me to Bosco after high school,鈥� Suemnick said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what put me in the transfer portal after Robert Morris and that鈥檚 what’s motivated me through this JUCO season to want to get the best I could.鈥�
For Suemnick, that journey began his senior year at Denmark High School.
鈥淚t was kind of crazy,鈥� Suemnick said. 鈥淚 never had any offers in high school, my whole entire (senior) season I had zero offers. I was visiting Division III schools. Then we made it to state.鈥�
As a senior for the Vikings, Suemnick averaged 18.4 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.9 blocks. He helped Denmark make it to the state semifinal where they faced off against Waupun and the 2019 Wisconsin Mr. Basketball award winner Marcus Domask. The Vikings lost but Suemnick played well against Domask at the Kohl Center, catching the eye of college coaches.
鈥淎fter that I started getting some Division I interest,鈥� Suemnick said. 鈥淚 got some Division II offers and that鈥檚 when I was like, 鈥榃ow just because I don鈥檛 have any interest right now, I don鈥檛 have anybody looking at me right now doesn鈥檛 mean I鈥檓 not worth more than I am right now so let me just get a year and let me go try and prove myself.鈥欌��
Suemnick decided to go to the Don Bosco Institute in Crown Point, Indiana and spend one more year prepping for college. The decision was paying off, Suemnick was receiving interest from schools like Depaul and Virginia Tech but just as the postseason was about to begin, COVID hit.
The pandemic threw off recruiting for all collegiate sports and Suemnick was unable to visit colleges. Suemnick鈥檚 options began to dwindle and he was planning to head to Triton College for the 2020-21 season when the coach at Triton decided to help him find a Division I school.
His belief that Suemnick deserved to play at the Division I level brought Suemnick to Robert Morris
University. They had been interested in Suemnick from the beginning and the chance to play Division I basketball was too good to pass up.
However, it wasn鈥檛 a perfect fit and Suemnick opted to enter the transfer portal at the end of last season to head to Triton to play for the junior college. But he did appreciate Robert Morris for giving him a chance and for giving him the opportunity to learn what it is like to play at the DI level.
鈥淥nce I went to Robert Morris I just soaked in all the details, really watched all the seniors, how they think, how they study and how they workout,鈥� Suemnick said. 鈥淗aving that was really big for me. Bringing that into the summer, bringing that into JUCO and what I kind of knew from last year is really what got me offers.鈥�
The lessons and habits he learned at Robert Morris only added to his already impressive work ethic, but for Suemnick, he has never viewed it as work.
鈥淚 just love doing it,鈥� Suemnick said. 鈥淏asketball has been the thing where if I鈥檓 struggling with something else or whatever problem is going on, that鈥檚 the thing that鈥檚 going to take my mind off of whatever is going on in my reality.鈥�
That love started when Suemnick got to high school, especially his sophomore year when he was able to drive. He would wake up and go to the gym before school to work on his game, then at lunch he would play with his friends and finally after school he would go to the gym again to implement what he worked on in the morning into pickup games.
That process has continued since then with Suemnick just adding more to his regiment as he learns new things. It all led up to a JUCO showcase over the summer.
It was there that Suemnick was able to show off his defensive ability, his communication and his tenacity on the court. Although he felt he didn鈥檛 get the best opportunity to show what he could do on the offensive side, he had done more than enough to attract the attention of West Virginia.
From there, he went on a visit to Morgantown and soon after decided to accept an offer to play for the Mountaineers. He could have waited longer, trying to see who else became interested during the season but Suemnick realized that what West Virginia had to offer was just as good, if not better, than any other option. A hall of fame coach in Bob Huggins, state of the art training facilities and the resources that are available at a Power Five Division I program.
鈥淢aybe I could get some better weather but that would be the only thing that could be better than the situation they have over there,鈥� Suemnick said.
With his decision made, it has allowed him to enjoy his season with Triton even more.
鈥淚鈥檓 just trying to do everything I can to help our team win,鈥� Suemnick said. 鈥淚鈥檓 committed already so it鈥檚 not about me getting scholarship offers and putting up crazy numbers. The one thing I don鈥檛 have on my resume right now is a championship so right now I鈥檓 just trying to do what I can to make sure we鈥檙e winning these games.鈥�
That mentality has led Suemnick to average 11 points and 5.8 rebounds for the Trojans while also racking up 19 steals and 27 blocks. Triton ended the regular season ranked in the top 20 in the nation and Suemnick wants to leave with a championship.
With one dream accomplished and Suemnick working on his goal of winning a championship with the Trojans, he can now look to the other dream he has had since deciding to bet on himself.
鈥淚t鈥檚 always been one of my biggest dreams to play in March Madness,鈥� Suemnick said.
In fact, is one of him from high school standing in front of the March Madness logo when games were last played in Milwaukee. And Suemnick isn鈥檛 changing it until he takes a new picture with the logo.
鈥淚鈥檓 not taking it down until it鈥檚 a picture of me with a jersey on in front of the same March Madness logo,鈥� Suemnick said.
