J. Marxen, Jr. '23 Recruiting Profile

My name is J. Marxen, Jr. and I live in Mililani, Hawaii. Basketball has been in my life for as long as I can remember and has always been an outlet for me.  My family has been my biggest motivator in wanting to better myself in every aspect of my life. When I play the game, I'm not only playing for myself, but also for them.  I've grown up around athletes and it's taught me to be competitive in everything I do. I have also been taught to envision what I want out of life and always believe in my dreams. As long as I truly believe in my vision and apply a strong work ethic,  I know I can achieve anything I put my mind to. What basketball has shown me about myself is that I love striving and working hard to compete. I love the leadership, the brothers I gain from being on the team, and the guidance I get from my coaches. 

When I found out my sophomore year was canceled, I was very disappointed in the situation. Now looking at it, it was the best thing that could have happened to me; I discovered what kind of player I was. The pandemic gave me time to completely work on my game. I gained weight, got stronger, had private workouts, and still practiced with my AAU club team. All those hours in the gym showed me that hard work pays off, especially when I reflect on my most  memorable  experience on the court. It was this past summer, I went to Las Vegas, NV to play in a few Jam On It AAU tournaments. During one of those games, my team and I went into double overtime. I had a good scoring game with a game high 32 points and the game winner. When I hit that shot, everyone rushed the court and piled on me. I will never forget that experience; the smile on my Dad's face and everyone screaming. As if it couldn't have gotten any better; after that same game, I was approached by Isaiah Thomas. He told me I had a great game and to keep on shooting. It will definitely be an encounter I will never forget.  Now that school is back in person, I'm preparing for my Junior year season. Going into this season, I plan on helping to lead my high school team to winning state basketball tournament and to maintain a 3.2 GPA. I believe I have the ability and work ethic to compete at the next level and will impact any program in a positive manner that is willing to take a chance on me. I will be a vocal, positive, hard working leader and will definitely lead by example on and off the court. I have great court vision and distribute the ball exceptionally well, great ball control, the ability to create my own scoring opportunities, but I also understand my role as the point guard: to get my teammates going early, and control the offense and momentum of the game. I'm looking for a program that suits me both academically and athletically. If given the opportunity I know that I can make positive impact on any program that I'm a part of. 

Thank you for your time.