When Jaxon Boschee crosses half court, he鈥檚 ready to shoot. And for good reason.
鈥淚t鈥檚 almost somewhat Steph Curry-like,鈥� said Bemidji assistant coach Carey Woods. 鈥淭here are times that even I look (at a shot attempt) and I鈥檓 like, 鈥業 don鈥檛 know.鈥� And then it drops.鈥�
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Woods would know. He is Bemidji boys basketball鈥檚 second all-time leading scorer and holds the record for most points in a game with 52. Yet even he admits he鈥檚 never seen anything quite like what Boschee has brought to the floor in his sophomore season.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just fun to be a part of and fun to watch, because you never know what he's going to do and what it's going to look like,鈥� Woods said. 鈥淚t's a treat.鈥�
Boschee has redefined the geometry of the BHS court with his 3-point shooting exploits. He鈥檚 converted shots 10 feet inside of half court and with the ball barely in his hands. In his second varsity season, he has rounded out his game as the Lumberjacks鈥� point guard and main facilitator, showcasing an ability to get to the rim, finish inside with either hand and set up teammates for open shots.
His pedigree deserves part of the credit. Boschee hails from a great basketball lineage. His father, Mike, is Bemidji State鈥檚 head men鈥檚 basketball coach and played at North Dakota. At UND, Mike ranks first all-time in free-throw percentage (88%) and fourth in 3-pointers made with 199. He made 45 consecutive free throws during the 1988-89 season, also a program record.
Boschee鈥檚 uncle Jeff played at Kansas from 1998-2002 and is the Jayhawks鈥� all-time leader in 3-pointers. Plus, Bemidji State women鈥檚 basketball head coach Chelsea Stoltenberg, who played at Augustana, is Jaxon鈥檚 aunt 鈥� Mike married Stoltenberg鈥檚 sister Amy.
鈥淔rom a young age, he's been able to jump on the bus and travel along and watch some of our practices,鈥� Mike said. 鈥�(He鈥檚 seen) what it's like a little bit, (watched) what a coach's life is like. He's gotten to sit on the bench during games at a young age. So having that all seem normal to him (is) maybe kind of unique. He's been around a lot of good players and he's watched a lot of good basketball, and that probably more than anything sparked an interest in the game.鈥�
Now, Boschee鈥檚 putting his own spin on the family legacy. In his sophomore year, he鈥檚 become the go-to player for the Lumberjacks, igniting the crowd with his shooting prowess and leading BHS in scoring. As his star has risen, so too have the fortunes of the Jacks.
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鈥淚t's exciting to watch his growth and development over the last year,鈥� said Bemidji head coach Steve Thompson. 鈥淏ut the most exciting part for me has been to watch the amount of work that he's put in outside of the time that we spend together. He's putting in hours, and it's developed confidence and obviously developed his skill set immensely and his shooting ability. So I'm most proud of the work that he puts in in order to be where he's at right now.鈥�
Boschee鈥檚 emergence hasn鈥檛 come by accident. Following habits instilled by his background in the game, he鈥檚 diligent about his preparation and is always eager to get back into the gym.
鈥淯sually, I do some form shooting (from) like 15 feet,鈥� Boschee said. 鈥淎nd then we'll do fundamental 3s around (the arc). And then we mix it up a little bit, (shooting) off the move, off the dribble, and then we usually do some free throws to finish it off. I try to (do that routine) as much as I can. Anytime I can get in the gym, I'm obviously going to try to.鈥�
From Woods鈥� perspective, Boschee鈥檚 uncommon drive and attention to detail separate him from many other players in his age group. It stood out during Boschee鈥檚 performance at an open gym in the spring before his freshman season.
鈥淎 lot of kids like to shot-jack and just throw up 3s,鈥� Woods said. 鈥淭he first thing he came and did was two-ball dribbling in front of all these high school guys. Then he started (shooting) inside to out. And that was something that as soon as I saw it, I knew he had something different in him that we probably haven鈥檛 seen in a while from Bemidji. He was going to be ready for early success in the sport.鈥�
Boschee has already amassed 590 career points halfway through his second season at the varsity level. If he continues at his current pace, he鈥檒l have an excellent shot at becoming the Lumberjacks鈥� all-time leading scorer.
Bemidji鈥檚 current all-time leader is Jim Jensen, who compiled 1,763 points during his career. Boschee still has a ways to go, but he has plenty of time to get there. Also, his aspirations don鈥檛 end at BHS 鈥� he hopes to play for a top college team, much as other members of his family did.
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鈥淚'm just trying to (play to) the best of my ability, play as well as I can,鈥� Boschee said. 鈥淲herever that takes me, that鈥檚 where I want to go. My uncle played at Kansas, and that's always been the dream. But wherever I can go is where I'll be happy.鈥�
If Boschee continues along his current trajectory, his basketball career may not end after college. Just ask Woods, a former Division I athlete himself at North Dakota State.
鈥淲e all have dreams, especially anybody who played high-level varsity sports, of going to the pro level,鈥� Woods said. 鈥�... With him, the sky's the limit. If he really chooses to, he has a chance at going to the next level and the level after that. (If he hits a growth spurt), wait till it happens. Then it鈥檚 going to be over for everybody.鈥�
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