By Sam Gordon
Murphy News Service
Blake Bears basketball fans didn’t get to celebrate John Veil’s 1,000th point. They were too engrossed in the Bears’ state tournament game.
So JR Bascom took it upon himself to give his home crowd something to cheer for.
Albeit, nearly a year later.
Bascom, a 6-foot-7 senior forward, joined close friend Veil in the 1,000-point club on Jan. 21 in a 73-40 win over Tri-Metro foe St. Anthony.
“I’ve been in the program for four years now. I’ve seen my teammates get it,” Bascom said. “It was a nice thing to accomplish.”
Blake’s season and the duo’s high school career came to an end against Waconia on Feb. 25.
“I’ve been playing with a lot of those guys since seventh and eighth grade,” Veil said.
Bascom and Veil co-captained the Bears to a state tournament appearance as juniors in 2013, but the team didn’t have the same success this season.
Blake played a challenging non-conference schedule in 2013-14, and their Tri-Metro conference was more competitive than it was a year ago.
But Veil and Bascom still shone individually, though, averaging better than 17 points a game apiece.
“They’ve been a staples of our program for the last four years,” Blake head coach Sean Krueger said
Veil, a 6-foot point guard, said he spent more time in the weight room during the offseason. He said the added strength helped him become better at finishing around the rim.
Finishing was never a problem from Bascom. He said he spent the past couple summers working on his jump shot. Now, he’s as comfortable shooting beyond the arc as he is in the low post.
“Freshman year, I was just a tall kid who could play in the post,” Bascom said. “Now I’m shooting three’s while also still playing a little bit inside.”
Bascom’s evolution into an inside-out player lets Krueger experiment with different lineups.
“A lot of teams don’t have two 6-foot-6 kids,” Bascom said. ”They have to decide whether they’ll put their tallest kid on their center or on me.”
Blake honored Veil’s 1000th-point in its home opener against Edina. Officials stopped the game when Bascom scored his, allowing him to share a moment with the crowd and his family.
Veil will play collegiately at the University of St. Thomas next year and Bascom will play at Wesleyan University.
Sam Gordon is studying journalism at the University of Minnesota.