Junior Jacob Wrencher began his basketball journey when he first learned to walk and how to
steal basketballs from other kids on the playground, Jacob Wrencher’s father and varsity basketball coach Champ Wrencher said.
Now, Jacob Wrencher stands at number 35 on the top 100 list of California recruits to play college basketball, according to Prep Hoops. “Basketball has been a passion of mine since I was little,” Jacob Wrencher said. “I’ve been playing since I was five or six. I’ve always liked competing and it’s something I look forward to. Basketball was something that Champ Wrencher and his son did for fun, but around eight years old, he started to get serious about the game, Champ Wrencher said.
Watching Jacob Wrencher evolve into the player he is today has been fun, he added. “He asked to play on a youth team and asked if I could really coach him,” Champ Wrencher said. “I told him he wasn’t going to
like it, but that’s what he wanted, so I started to train him. At some point, he became tall and, combined with his love for the game, his passion grew.”
A part of Jacob’s passion stemmed from wanting to play like his dad, who played division-one basketball at Auburn University, Jacob Wrencher said. Champ Wrencher coaches his son in the same manner that he does with other players, if not harsher, he added.“He’s helped me get out of my comfort zone in all areas of the game, mental and physical,” Jacob Wrencher said. As for the top 100 list, at times, it can be humbling to see all the people ahead in terms of skill level, but the statistics and lists are mostly just numbers, Jacob Wrencher said. “I mean, it’s good to know what other people are doing and where you stand amongst them, but for the most part, I just try to keep to myself and improve my own game,” Jacob Wrencher said.
Jacob Wrencher’s playing style revolves around creating scoring opportunities for himself and his other teammates, Jacob Wrencher said. His biggest challenge was playing on an Adidas team last year where he was told to limit the amount of shots to take, he added.
“I had to learn how to be told not to shoot so much and to not have possession of the ball as much,”
Jacob Wrencher said. “I stayed with that team from April to July.” Champ Wrencher saw his son
struggle with frustration due to not being the star player, he said.
However, the experience helped him to mature as a player and person, he added. “He had a very reserved role,” Champ Wrencher said. “Sticking with the team despite getting other offers from other teams was a big challenge, but he never wanted to quit.”
Another challenge Jacob Wrencher has had to face was his injury; he fractured his tibia in July and has been taking a break from playing, he said. “Trying to get back into the feel of things has been a challenge,” Jacob Wrencher said. “It has made me appreciate the game more and made me realize how much I take
basketball for granted. I will get cleared soon to resume playing on the high school team, but I’ve been doing a lot of watching (the school team) lately,” he added.
The player rankings and statistics can cause competition within the school basketball team itself, Jacob Wrencher’s teammate junior Lamont Davis said. Everyone wants to be at the next level and on the websites and lists, but Jacob Wrencher has proved to be deserving of the rank through his hard work and desire to win, he added. “Being friends with him helps with chemistry on and off the court,” Davis said. “It’s fun playing with someone that you’re close to and (who) loves playing the sport.”
Jacob Wrencher hopes to earn a scholarship for college and eventually transition to playing basketball professionally, he said. For now, he is focusing on the present and is excited to come back from his injury for the upcoming school season, he said.