1-On-1 With Drexel Basketball Commit Jarvis Doles
We go 1-on-1 with Drexel commit Jarvis Doles to talk Dragons basketball and his recruiting process
The University of Drexel might’ve landed a 6-foot-8 promising forward, but the recruitment process was anything but stress free for the new Dragon, Jarvis Doles.
After coming off a strong season at Hammond High School Doles, where he averaged 13.3 points and 10.8 rebounds, good enough to make the All Howard County team, Doles will join the Dragons next season.
However, signing day didn’t exactly go the way he hoped, leading Doles deciding to enter Mount Zion Prep in Northern Baltimore. Yesterday, I was able to catch up with Doles where he opened up his experience at Mount Zion and more.
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“From Day 1 the coaches kept it real with me and told me what I needed to work on,” Doles said. “Coach rolled out the balls and allowed the team to compete for positions. I developed a go getter mentality as a result of attending Mount Zion. Every day, we are forced to give 110 percent or else we will get left behind. The level of competition that I faced in practice each day was like nothing I’ve seen before. I felt as though my back was against the wall and under the right direction, and hard work it all payed off”.
Doles then explained why he picked Drexel over schools like James Madison, Canisius, San Diego, Southern Utah and Boston College.
“Drexel is a place that I can come in and have an immediate impact,” he said. “Coach showed me the offense that he plans on running and it’s almost tailor fitted towards my game. In addition, I know that Drexel will challenge me not only on the court but also in the classroom. Philadelphia is a good-sized city and with Temple, LaSalle, University of Penn, and all the other Philly institutions, it puts me in prime position to make the connections that will take me to where I intend to go”
Another Baltimore native point guard Kurk Lee, coming from Saint Francis Academy, played in the same conference with Doles when he was at Mount Saint Joseph. Lee committed to Drexel last year.
“He definitely played a factor,” Doles said about having a familiar face around next year. “Kurk and I went head-to-head on several different occasions during the MSJ vs St. Francis rivalry games. Knowing that I had another Baltimore guy to play along with made it easier to make my decision”
When asked about his feelings about Drexel being 6-10 right now, Doles didn’t seem all that concerned.
“Not at all it just motivates me to work harder,” he said. “Drexel’s basketball program has just begun a new era with Coach Spiker and the rest of his staff. Winning takes time, it’s not done overnight. As myself and others join to be a part of Drexel, I have the utmost confidence that we will turn the program around in no time”
Doles also believes Drexel can become a real threat when it comes to tournament time.
“Definitely. The coaching staff is very solid and if we continue to add the right pieces to the puzzle and work hard I believe that great things are ahead of us”
Jarvis Doles has overcome different challenges before, so why should we believe that he won’t do it again?
