By Rich Palzewic
Sports Editor
DE PERE – Most people would consider De Pere boys’ basketball player Will Dehn a sharpshooter.
He’s highly proficient at putting the ball through the hoop from anywhere on the court.
“I’ve worked on my shooting lots,” said the senior Will, the son of Eric and Katie Dehn. “One of my goals is to get my shot off quickly and shoot in rhythm.”
Dehn, who had a career-high 24 points in a game during his junior year at Pewaukee, recently announced his commitment to play basketball at the next level for head coach Gary Grzesk at Division III St. Norbert College.
“It’s a great opportunity given to me by Coach Grzesk,” said Dehn, who will study business. “He’s a great coach, but I also love the school and campus. I also considered the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and St. Olaf College in Minnesota.”
The Redbirds, who are currently ranked No. 10 in the latest Wissports.net Division 1 Coaches Poll, are coached by Brian Winchester.
“He’s a great coach and loves the kids,” Dehn said. “He knows the game extremely well and has our best interest in mind. Overall, he’s a great coach. If you asked him to explain the type of player and person I am, I think he’d say I always came to practice, worked hard and was a good teammate and leader.”
The Redbirds are off to a 15-2 start and playing good ball.
One of those reasons is because of sophomore John Kinziger, who’s currently averaging about 22 points per game.
“He’s an amazing player, is a great teammate and has a bright future,” said Dehn, who is averaging about 12 points per contest. “He shows great leadership for such a young age and knows how to facilitate our offense. I like the action his dribble penetration creates because it opens shots for other guys. When he drives, my defender leaves me and tries to stop him. That leaves me open.”
Dehn said his earliest basketball memory dates back to when he was a third-grader.
“I still remember my first practice,” he said. “I haven’t stopped since.”
His most memorable moment occurred when he was a sophomore.
“I went to the Kohl Center in Madison during the state tournament that year and took part in the 3-Point Challenge,” said Dehn, who describes himself as hard-working, perseverant and outgoing. “I finished fifth out of 10 participants.”
Dehn played soccer his freshman year and did track and field his sophomore year.
He said he wished he would have played football, but since basketball is his main sport, he didn’t want to get hurt.
His mom is from Menasha, and his dad is from Minnesota.
They both went to St. Olaf and have running backgrounds, and his mom also played tennis.
Dehn’s younger sister, Emily, does track and soccer as a sophomore at De Pere.
Dehn said traveling to Sanibel Island, Florida, is a memorable family vacation, and he would like to visit Europe someday.
His favorites include the Oklahoma City Thunder NBA team, player Russell Westbrook, pizza, the phone app Instagram and the restaurant Qdoba.