Firle to play basketball for Jamestown
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NEW ULM -- New Ulm High School's 6-foot-9 center Nate Firle has committed to play college basketball next year at the University of Jamestown.
They currently are an NAIA college but will be doing Divison II in two years and joining the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).
"I just really liked the college [when I visited it] and the town," Firle said. "It reminds me of my town. It kind of made me feel at home."
Firle had looked at Crookston, University of Sioux Falls, Moorhead and colleges in Iowa.
"I just felt that every part of the system there was good for me," he said. "There is a lot of opportunity, and I felt that I could grow there. I love the athletic program and they have the program that I want in the academic part. I am thinking of majoring in Exercise Science path, but that is open."
Firle said that Jimmies head coach Greg Ulland said he needs to work hard and that there will be positions open.
"And if I work hard enough, I can fill one of them," he said.
Firle said he needs to get faster and stronger to make the jump from high school basketball to eventually DII.
"And I need to work on my overall skills," he said. "Everything is different in college. My biggest weakness is that there are times when I am not confident -- I am not in the right mindset."
Firle, who plays basketball year-round, said he hopes to continue to make jumps on his improvement like he did in high school.
"I remember my freshman year when was on the bench on the C-squad and now being a varsity starter," he said.