Sparta’s Jax Wilson is putting up big numbers this season
Sparta senior Jax Wilson during a practice on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023. (Photo | Lenny Padilla)
SPARTA, Mich - Jax Wilson wasn’t the most confident kid when he played his first varsity basketball game as a freshman.
But four years and 1,000 points later, the Sparta High School senior has become one of the top scoring basketball players in West Michigan.
“I remember it really well,” Wilson said of his first career points. “My first varsity game, as a freshman, it was the first game of the year. I scored zero points. So it was tough, because I was like ‘I don’t know If I belong here’ I was doubting myself. Then the next game, I remember taking it to the lane and getting fouled. Being at the free-throw line. I hit the free throw.”
Wilson, a 6-foot-1 guard, has been getting points like that ever since. He is averaging 25.8 points per game, including 44 points against Whitehall, which is the top mark so far in West Michigan.
“He’s is more of a slasher, but if you watch our games, he facilitates our offense,” Sparta coach Scott Berry said. “This year, we have the ability to run him off the ball or with the ball. The best part of his game is that he relentlessly attacks the lane. He gets in there and creates opportunities for himself.”
Sparta’s Jax Wilson passes the ball at the Cornerstone Holiday Tournament in Dec. 2022. He was named to the all-tournament team. (Photo | Lenny Padilla).
On Friday, Jan. 20, Wilson reached the 1,000 point mark in a 62-54 loss at Grandville Calvin Christian.
“It was really cool,” Wilson said. “Credit to Calvin, because they were classy about it. They called a time out. It was a lot of fun to play in. Calvin’s a really tough team. Nobody wants to score their 1,000th point when they’re down by 20. So it was cool that we were playing with them and it was a close game when it happened.”
He’s moving up the list for most points in Sparta history.
On Friday night, Wilson had 27 points to move past David Bueschel into second place. The school record is held by Jimmy Cochran at 1,337. Wilson has 1,082 after Friday’s game.
Earlier this week, Sparta had one of the wildest game’s in the state.
On Tuesday, Jan. 24, Sparta won a triple-overtime thriller to beat Wyoming Godwin Heights 104-98. Wilson would score 37 points.
“That was so much fun,” Wilson said. “Probably the most fun game I’ve ever played in, honestly. There were so many big moments. It was like knock-out punches back and forth. Every play was a big play.”
What he didn’t realize, is that he would set the school record and get in the MHSAA record book, too. Wilson was 21-of-23 from the free-throw line, which is one of the top marks in Michigan history. He now is 106-131 for the season, which is 80.9 percent.
“He’s gotta be the leading free-throw shooter, at least percentage-wise in the area,” Berry said.
“I think he’s hit just three 3-pointers all year. Everything else is mid-range (shots) or in the lane or free-throws. He just doesn’t shoot outside shots very often.”
The college recruitment of Wilson was non-existent until January.
“It’s really started to pick up recently,” Wilson said. “I got an offer from Calvin (on Thursday). I have a visit from Cornerstone next week. I have offers from Grace (Christian University) and Kuyper (College) and I’ve spoke with Aquinas, too.”
But Berry said Wilson still has some things to work on first.
“We’ve told Jax that his game will have to evolve,” Berry said. “That’s one of the pitfalls of him not getting a lot of looks. If he can’t make a 19-foot-9 3-pointer here at the high school level, you step back a foot and a half at the college level, coaches see that. And coaches need to be able to stretch defenses at that level. He understands that. He has to add that dimension to his game.”
Sparta’s Jax Wilson plays a game for the Grand Rapids Storm in the summer of 2021. (Photo | Lenny Padilla)
Wilson said he has honed his game during the travel ball season, where he played for the Grand Rapids Storm.
“I didn’t start playing AAU until my sophomore year in high school,” he said. “I realized it would be important as far as recruiting. Getting the opportunity to play with other college-level players. Like playing with Kayden (NorthPointe Christian’s Kayden Bird) was a ton of fun. I could find him and he’d be able to shoot the lights out. And playing against better, stronger defenders. Because everyone out there can play.”
Wilson, the son of Drew and Terri Wilson, said sports run in his family.
“My brother (Chase) played growing up,” Jax said. “He helped me out a lot. But he beat me up all the time (on the basketball court). And my sister (Paige) also played basketball. So athletics run in the family. He (Chase) was a senior when I was a freshman. So I got to play with him.”
Sparta’s Jax Wilson dives on the floor for a loose ball during a Division 2 regional game against Whitehall on March 14, 2022. (Photo | Lenny Padilla).
Wilson also plays a second sport.
“I run track, and I ran cross country up until this year,” Wilson said. “But I quit that to focus on basketball.”
On the basketball court, he loves to score, but he gets more of a thrill getting his teammates involved.
“Later in the game, I like to have the ball in my hands,” Wilson said. “But this year, it’s a lot better because there’s a lot of guys I can trust that can get a bucket. Like Landen (Reister), our sophomore. He’s playing guard, too. He had a lot of big buckets against Godwin. Gunnar (Busen) is playing really well and Jaiden (Krynicki) can shoot the lights out from three. So I trust my guys to get a bucket.”
After Sparta’s 74-50 win over Comstock Park on Friday, the Spartans are 4-3 in the O-K Silver Conference and 7-6 overall.
Berry said Wilson is just as good of a person as he is a basketball player.
“Unbelievable,” Berry said. “Very modest. Humble. He’s not a me-first guy. He would rather win a game than him score 25 and we lose. That speaks volumes about him.”
Sparta senior Jax Wilson during a practice on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023. (Photo | Lenny Padilla)
