10 Questions with Berks Catholic’s Jack Miller, presented by the Weeber/Langdon Team of Merrill Lynch
MikeDragoSports.com goes one-on-one with a Berks basketball player to find out what’s on his or her mind — on the court and off.
Jack Miller, Berks Catholic
Senior guard
Q: You’ve got such a great release on your jump shot. How did you develop that, and who helped you with it?
Going into sophomore year, I knew I needed to be able to shoot the ball to make an impact, so every single day during the offseason I would work on my shot with my dad, who rebounded for me.
Q: If you could play a game of H-O-R-S-E with any NBA player, who would you go against?
Klay Thompson. I’ve always tried to (model) my game after him. He may not be the flashiest player on the court but watching him shoot is incredible.
Q: If you could be recruited by any college basketball coach in the country, who would it be?
I would say Tom Izzo, at Michigan State. I enjoy watching him and his players play at a high level with no superstars.
Q: You’ve probably known your coach, Snip Esterly, your entire life. What’s it been like playing for him?
Coach Snip has been such a great coach for me, and he’s even better person.
He believed in me when I was a sophomore, when nobody else did. He coached my dad a long time ago, so he wants me to be the best player I can be even if that means pushing me to my limits.
Q: You’re fortunate that you’ve never had to guard Jay-Jay Jordan in a game. Have you ever been matched up against him in practice or a pick-up game, and how did that go?
Guarding Jay-Jay, you always have to make sure you’re on your ‘A’ game or he will blow right by you with his speed or pull up from mid-range. Usually when I try to guard him he blows right by me.
Q: Who’s the high school player you most looked up to when you were a kid?
Either Marcus Dawkins for Central Catholic or Chris Warren for Berks Catholic. I grew up watching them play and always wanted to go to their games.
Q: Your dad, Joe, played on Central Catholic’s 1985 state championship team. What has he told you about that team and that championship run?
He’s told me that they were a very skilled team top to bottom, and I got a chance to watch their state championship game on film. They had an amazing comeback from down 10 with a minute left to win the game in overtime.
Q: If you could hang out with any celebrity or pro athlete for the day, who would it be and what would you do?
I would hang out with Steph Curry and see if I can keep up with him in a 3-point contest.
Q: What’s your biggest motivation for success?
My biggest motivation is being part of team success. Berks Catholic has an amazing basketball tradition and I’m glad I’ve been able to contribute to it.
Q: Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give to freshmen at Berks Catholic?
Stay confident and believe in yourself and good things will happen.
10 Questions, presented by the Weeber/Langdon Team of Merrill Lynch, will appear on MikeDragoSports.com throughout the 2022-2023 basketball season.