Wethersfield’s Collagan Achieving his Hoop Dreams

Jake Collagan is proof that hard work pays off.

The graduating senior was a star basketball player for Wethersfield and he will soon be living out his childhood dream of playing hoops at a collegiate level, heading to New Hampshire to join the upstart program at Keene State College next fall.   

“I’ve always wanted to go play college basketball,” said Collagan, “I started playing as a kid and it just took over. Basketball is something that I’ve always done, so playing at the next level is everything.”

It’s been a long road for Collagan, who first began playing ball at age five. His father, Tom Collagan, introduced him to the game and the passion grew from there.

“Ever since I can remember my dad would take me to the games at Wethersfield High,” Collagan said of his father, who made sure to attend all of Jake’s games, “My dad pushed me as a young kid and still does to this day. But he was a good motivator for me too, always being positive and always wanting to see me succeed. Every summer we’d be at the park early in the morning and doing different types of drills, like ball handling and shooting drills and he would rebound for me. He wanted me to be the best player that I could be and a top player in the state.”

The dedication paid off as the sharp-shooting guard became one of the state’s elites, scoring 21 points per game as a junior and increasing his average to 25 per game this past season, earning him a second team all-state selection.

“I had a lot of doubters when I was a sophomore and junior. I was too small or too slow. Those types of things motivated me,” said Collagan, “I’ve work pretty hard over the off-seasons and I’ll keep working hard.”

The doubters have fueled the energetic guard, who used the negativity to help build his confidence.

“I don’t get intimidated and I don’t let people get to me,” he added, “It’s a mindset. Don’t back down and just do what you have to do on the court and don’t let anyone affect you.”

His supreme confidence has led to consistent play and his athletic ability allows him to flourish on both ends of the court.
However it’s his picturesque jumper that has made him a household name. He has unlimited range, excelling as a spot-up shooter, but also adding deadly pull-up and step-back jumpers over the past couple of seasons.

“I’ve taken a lot of jump shots. I wake up every morning and shoot before school and I shoot after school,” he said “People knew me as a spot-up shooter my junior year so I knew I had to elevate my game to the next level. I’ve worked hard to create space on my shot.”
His step-back shot is reminiscent of his favorite player Kemba Walker, who helped guide the University of Connecticut to an NCAA championship before becoming a lottery selection of the Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets, where he’s grown into one of the NBA’s purest scorers over the past five seasons.

“Kemba was a person I loved to watch at UConn. I love his game and how he plays,” said Collagan, “I also love his leadership and his attitude towards basketball.”

Like Walker, Collagan has enhanced his skills every year and the team around him has improved as well. The Eagles were 10-10 his sophomore season, 12-8 his junior season, and 13-7 this past winter.

“Every year we’ve improved and had a better record,” said Collagan, who credits previous Wethersfield graduates Ryan Peterson and Yianni Mantziaris for helping develop the program, “When {Coach Brian} Fanelli first got here there was a bunch of kids that didn’t want to play within the program. Now we have kids that do good well in the classroom and are willing to listen and stick to the game plan.”

The crowning moment for the program was hosting and winning a tournament game at Wethersfield High School this past March.
It was a considerably different feeling than the previous year when Collagan broke his wrist late in the season and was forced to miss the team’s opening round tournament game.

“Missing that game was terrible. I was very emotional for two weeks after I found out I broke my wrist,” he recalled, “I cut my cast off two nights before the game and I came to practice, but I just had tape on it and it was bad. It was a bummer, especially because of the outcome.”

Wethersfield lost to South Windsor on a three-point shot at the buzzer in front of their home fans. A year later, Collagan was fully healthy and the Eagles trounced rival Berlin, 73-48, in front of those same fans.

“This year meant everything to me, especially because of what happened at the end of my junior year,” he said, “Berlin had embarrassed us earlier in the season and it was great to beat them, especially playing at home in front of all these fans and with my best friends. It was very special.”

One of those friends was his backcourt mate Devon Smith, who Collagan called the best athlete in the school. The duo, along with Kyle Klavins, challenged each other athletically from a young age and all developed the ability to, literally, jump to great heights. Collagan has used his “hops” to help shoot over taller players and swat away shots on the defensive end.

Aside from jumping, they also created several memories on the court. The most memorable may have been the win over East Catholic during their junior year.

“It was our first home game in a year and a half. They were #4 in the state and we knew we couldn’t lose,” Collagan said about the team’s 67-61 upset victory on Jan. 20th 2015, “The gym was filled and it was a good environment. It was a big win, probably my favorite memory.”

It was the Eagles first home game in the school’s renovated gymnasium. They nearly took down Weaver, the eventual state champions, in their following home game. Collagan remembers that game because of the shooting exhibition he put on during a wild second half.

“We were down in the first half and I came out in the second half and felt like I couldn’t miss,” said Collagan, who finished the game with 28 points, “They took it away in overtime, but I felt like I couldn’t be stopped that game.”

His hardwood devotion earned him the nickname Young Simba, inheriting the name from longtime mentor and his first coach Peter Skevas, who is a Wethersfield-graduate and former hoopster.

“He was Young Simba growing up. He migrated to Grown Simba and now I’m Young Simba,” Collagan said with a smirk, “I got handed down the nickname.”

Young Simba’s days at Wethersfield High School are near the end and next fall he’ll be working towards a degree in athletic training.

“I’ll miss basketball the most and I’ll miss the school a lot. I’ve been here for four years and now it’s starting to wind down. I’m realizing I won’t be coming back here next year and it’s sad, but it’s been a good experience,” said Collagan, who would prepare for games by listening to the rapper Fabulous while eating a grinder from the Corner Grinder.

He’ll have to find a new grinder shop as he travels a few hours north to join a Keene State team that is fresh off a Sweet Sixteen appearance in the Division III NCAA tournament and coached by Ryan Cain, who is entering his second season leading the Owls.

“They first recruited me at an AAU tournament in Springfield. I went out for a practice and a game. I stayed the night and I fell in love with the school. I knew I wanted to spend the next four years there,” Collagan stated, “Coach Cain was definitely a big part of the decision. They’re a great coaching staff and they like to win.”

At Keene State he’ll have the opportunity to see the country, including a trip to the Grand Canyon for a tournament next Christmas. He’ll also have two homecomings each season, as the Owls plays in the same conference (Little East) as Western Connecticut State and Eastern Connecticut State.

Before packing his bags for college life, he has one more summer in Wethersfield to hone his craft as he prepares for a new brand of basketball. The goal is to put on some weight and get stronger for the bigger competition he’ll face at the next level.
But that shouldn’t be a problem, because hard work has never been an issue for basketball-oriented Collagan.

“Basketball is definitely a majority of my time and I want be around the game as much as I can,” he said, “Being on the court just feels comfortable to me. I’m going to try and make an impact as soon as I get to Keene State.”
 
Questions or comments? Email [email protected] or follow on Twitter @RareReminderJH

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