What It REALLY Takes to Play Professional Basketball

About this episode

What does it really take to go from high school basketball to playing professionally?In this episode of Making the Team, I sit down with professional basketball player Zac Seljaas to talk about his journey from Bountiful High School in Utah to BYU and ultimately professional basketball in Europe.Zac was part of an incredible run at Bountiful, winning two state championships and playing alongside future NBA player Sam Merrill. He went on to play Division I basketball at BYU before continuing his career professionally overseas.But this conversation is about much more than where Zac has played.We talk about the lessons he learned at each stage of his basketball career, the work required to reach the next level, dealing with challenges and adversity, and what young players can learn from his experiences.If you're a high school basketball player hoping to play in college, a parent helping your athlete navigate the process, or a coach looking for lessons to share with your team, there is a lot to take away from Zac's story.🔗 Seljaas Hoops Website:https://www.seljaashoops.com/🔗 Follow Zac's Journey Here:https://www.instagram.com/zseljaas/Some Zac Stats:• 1,704 career points at Bountiful, plus 494 rebounds and 217 threes• The 2014 4A title was Bountiful's first since 1997• 4A MVP, first-team all-state; Utah Player of the Year in 2015 • BYU Career: 134 games, 39.5% from three, 8th most 3-pointers in program historyChapters:0:00 Intro0:21 Seljaas Hoops3:10 High School Buzzer Beater History7:07 Bountiful High Lessons9:50 Having Dad as Coach13:01 Coach Maxwell Style16:30 Dealing with Being "The Guy"18:48 High School Workouts Habits21:51 Advice to High School Self22:41 Getting Recruited to College26:52 Major Changes During College28:39 Going from Good to Great31:49 Mission and Getting Back35:23 College Workout Habits43:51 "Bag Work"49:24 Advice to College Self50:31 College to the Pros57:27 Overseas vs US Basketball1:04:29 European Basketball Organization1:15:11 Playing for Napoli1:18:48 Different Cultures & Languages1:21:14 Quote Reaction1:25:28 Favorite Shoes1:27:43 Family Dynamic1:30:31 The Goal1:32:32 Advice to Early Pro Self1:33:36 Stying Sharp in the Offseason1:36:07 Has it all been worth it?#Basketball #ZacSeljaas #BYUBasketball #UtahBasketball #HighSchoolBasketball