For four years, Jarek Erickson was a standout member of the Wolfpack basketball team.
Twice during that four-year span, he helped lead the team to the Class D2 State Basketball Tournament. This season, the Wolfpack capped their best season in team history with the state runner-up trophy. Erickson was named to the D2 All-Tournament team.
On Tuesday night, Erickson earned another award. Nebpreps selected Erickson as the D2 Player of the Year. He was selected over junior Ben Barlow of O’Neill St, Mary’s, junior Luke Guenther GACC and senior Brenden Johannes of Archangels Catholic.
It marks the first time ever for a Wolfpack player to receive the award.
During his senior season, Erickson averaged 16.6 points per game on 51 percent shooting from the field (35 percent from three-point range). He averaged 9.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game for the team which finished with a 25-4 season record.
During the season he recorded 12 double-doubles (points/rebounds).
“It is such an honor receiving that award. Some people don’t really realize how much preparation goes into not just the games themselves but into the entire season,” Erickson told The Elgin Review last week. “My teammates, me, and my coaches put in so much behind the scenes work like shooting for hours upon hours in the gym and lifting weights and watching film, and it is an amazing feeling knowing that all that hard work payed off for not only me but the entire team. I couldn’t have done it without them all. I am proud of myself for working as hard as I did but I couldn’t be more proud of the effort everyone alongside me put in as well, and that dedication is what stands out to me the most.”
In his standout senior season, Erickson recorded double/doubles (points/rebounds) in games against Riverside, Creighton, Riverside, North Central, Bloomfield, Fullerton, Central Valley, Humphrey-Lindsay, Niobrara-Verdigre, Chambers/Wheeler Central, Potter-Dix and Pleasanton.
When it mattered most, Erickson raised his level of play. In the postseason (sub-district, district and state tournament), Erickson averaged 21 points and just over 10 rebounds and nearly four assists per game.
Throughout the season, Wolfpack Coach Matt Euse said having Erickson in the game was like having another coach on the court.
Being named Nebpreps D2 Player of the Year is likely just one of many postseason awards to come his way in the coming weeks.
