Joe Wolfinger

Offered per Insiders. Visited Sept 24th, 2004.

11/17/04: "Wolfinger is originally from Aloha (Ore.) High School but will play a fifth prep season for Mount Hermon High in Northfield, Mass. Huskies' assistant Jim Shaw had been intrigued by Wolfinger when he saw him play once last summer. Then when he returned to see him a second time, UW coach Lorenzo Romar said "it was a no-brainer." - Seattle Times

11/17/04: "Joe Wolfinger, a 7-foot Oregon native who is spending the year at Northfield Mount Hermon (Mass.), committed to Washington and plans to sign today after taking an official visit this past weekend to Seattle. "Location was important and so was the strong relationship the team has with one another and with the coaching staff," NMH associate head coach John Carroll said. "He liked the style of play, which is similar to what we play here." Wolfinger also considered Cincinnati, Georgia Tech and Florida State." - ScoutHoops.com

11/11/04: "In the past Wolfinger had maintained a desire to return to the northwest and play in the Pac-10, but he said that has changed somewhat. "At first, that's how I felt," Wolfinger said. "But now it doesn't really matter anymore. . . . has received scholarship offers from Washington, Cincinnati, Georgia Tech and Florida State." - InsidersHoops.com (4 to 5)

11/11/04: "Both of those (recruiting class) rankings could improve if the Bearcats land 7-foot, 225-pound center Joe Wolfinger from Northfield Mount Herman, a prep school in Massachusetts. He has visited UC and Florida State and is scheduled to visit Washington this weekend. He could make his decision as early as next week." - Enquirer.com

10/29/04: "Joe Wolfinger, a 7-foot Oregon native who is spending the year at Northfield Mount Hermon (Mass.), will take an official visit to Florida State this weekend. Wolfinger has already visited Cincinnati and plans to take a trip to Georgia Tech, which has been rescheduled." - InsidersHoops.com

10/18/04: "One of the recruits, 7-0 center Joe Wolfinger of Portland, Ore., is the brother of ex-Joel Barlow standout Jack Wolfinger, who played briefly at St. John's. But unlike his older brother, this Wolfinger has suddenly become one of the most intriguing big men in the country. Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, Boston College, Providence and Florida State are all interested in securing his services. After graduating from Aloha High in Portland last June, Wolfinger is spending a post-graduate year at Northfield Mount Hermon Prep in Northfield, Mass." - Danbury News Times


team picture -
http://www.alohahoops.com/03-04%20Varsity.jpg

10/14/04: "Wolfinger has already officially visited Cincinnati (offer). Carroll said Wolfinger hit it off with the coaching staff and spoke highly of the team’s history of developing players. He unofficially visited Boston College (offer) and could be at Connecticut’s Midnight Madness this weekend, barring a car ride to the Storrs campus. Georgia Tech will host Wolfinger for an official visit on Oct. 23." - RivalsHoops.com (5 to 4)

10/01/04: "Joe Wolfinger, a 7-foot Oregon native who is spending the year at Northfield Mount Hermon (Mass.), played in front of Georgia Tech head coach Paul Hewitt on Wednesday night, according to a source close to the situation." - theInsidersHoops.com

09/29/04: "Two players causing a recent rumble are 7-footer Joe Wolfinger at Northfield-Mt. Hermon and guard Martynas Pocius of the Holderness School. Wolfinger, who's likely to head back close to his home in Oregon, is attracting attention from Cincinnati, PC and BC." - Provo.com

09/23/04: "The 7-foot, 225-pound Oregon native, who has put on about 25 pounds since averaging 14.5 points last season at Aloha High (Ore.), has already received an offer from Bob Huggins and Cincinnati. In fact, Wolfinger will take a visit to Cincinnati this weekend and will follow that up with either a trip to Boston College or Florida State the following weekend." - theInsidersHoops.com (4 to 5)

09/21/04: "Wolfinger has upped his weight to 225 pounds and Carroll says he wouldn’t be surprised to see the center at 235 by the time the season begins in December. “He just loves to compete,” Carroll said. “He loves being in the gym and not taking anything for granted. He’s always in the gym, working on everything.”

Wolfinger is a solid shooter and can take his game to the perimeter and high blocks. He’s an aggressive rebounder for his size and isn’t afraid to block a number of shots on the defensive end.

Carroll said Wolfinger will make an official visit to Cincinnati this weekend, his first of the year. Florida State and Boston College are both coming to NMHS on Tuesday for an open gym while Nebraska is coming on Thursday. Providence, Oregon State and Washington State are also interested. “Joe is just looking for the best fit possible for him,” Carroll said. “He’s really wide open.” - JYoung, RivalsHoops.com

09/21/04: "Abdul Herrera, a 6-foot-10, 245-pound center from South Miami (Fla.) Senior High School and Joe Wolfinger, a 7-foot, 225-pound center from Northfield Mt. Herman, a prep school in Massachusetts, are scheduled to visit the UC campus this weekend. Wolfinger, from suburban Portland, was a first-team all-state selection in Oregon last year but until recently has flown under the recruiting radar, according to John Carroll, the associate head coach at Northfield Mt. Herman. "He's a 3-point shooter who trails the fast break really well," Carroll said. "He comes off screens really well. He's just a phenomenal shooter. He competes every single possession, loves the competition and he's very, very skilled. "He's not a great leaper, but he really understands how to play." UC will be Wolfinger's first visit. He also has a visit scheduled for Oct. 2 at Boston College. Nebraska and Florida State are also interested." - Enquirer.com

08/18/04: "I'm going to Northfield Mount Hermon," Wolfinger said. "That was the main school that I was focusing on. I'm leaving for there on the 27th." - OregonPreps.com

07/01/04: Joe Wolfinger stood in the Portland International Airport, bags checked, ticket in hand. The 7-foot center out of Aloha High School was headed to Chicago, Ill., to visit DePaul University as a prospective basketball recruit. Then a page came. A DePaul representative was calling to rescind the invitation. The Blue Demons were going in another direction.

The experience left Wolfinger a bit soured, but not bitter. In fact, the whole experience could prove to be a blessing in disguise. "I learned to not put all your eggs in one basket and to keep your options open," he said. DePaul might have backed out, but it didn't leave Wolfinger completely hanging. According to Wolfinger, DePaul coaches recommended that he attend a prep school where he could hone his post skills and add weight to his gangly, 218-pound frame.

That suggestion turned a negative into a positive for Wolfinger, who recognizes that he might not be physically ready for the pounding of Division I basketball. "It's one more year of getting bigger and stronger," he said. That could be the only thing standing between him and a bright future in basketball.

Wolfinger's career began at Wilson High School, where he said he was little used and coaches there didn't seem much interested in developing him. So, he transferred to Aloha his junior year. There, coach Ken Yarnell developed Wolfinger into an all-Metro League center. "I had a coach that believed in me rather than at Wilson, where I sat on the bench and no one would work with me," Wolfinger said.

Wolfinger was 6-11, 190 pounds his junior year and struggled a bit inside because of his lack of strength. By his senior season, he had grown an inch and added about 20 pounds. The result was a 14.2 points per game average as he helped to lead the Warriors to their first Class 4A playoff appearance since 1997.

Wolfinger's improvement -- and extraordinary height -- made him an attractive college prospect. But his limited strength was a concern. Still, several schools showed interest, including Boise State.

Yarnell said the recruiting process proved educational. He said recruiters were nice enough but he now wishes he would have asked tougher questions to find out just where Wolfinger stood in the process. But while the surprise of DePaul backing out still stung, Phil Wolfinger, his father, harbors no hard feelings. "I understand the nature of this game of recruiting," he said.

A fallback option would be for Wolfinger to attend a junior college. But that would mean he would burn a year of eligibility. By going to a prep school, he would still have five years to play four seasons at the collegiate level, starting in fall of 2005.

DePaul recommended Northfield Mount Hermon School in Northfield, Mass. Wolfinger said he is leaning towards attending Northfield but hasn't decided yet. But he said he is almost sure he will attend a prep school this fall. Northfield competes in the NEPSAC Class A Division, considered one of the premier prep school conferences in the nation. According to the school's website, Northfield has sent more than 40 players on to Division I programs since 1991.

Wolfinger hopes to make that list. To get there, he said he's like to add another 25-35 pounds and develop more post moves. "I need to gain weight and get stronger, tougher and bigger," he said.

Wolfinger said the school does a good job of promoting players to colleges. Although DePaul steered him towards Northfield, he would be under no obligation to sign with DePaul. "They're taking a chance that he'd still want to go to DePaul," Phil Wolfinger said.

Despite what has happened, Joe Wolfinger said he would still consider going to DePaul. But his options could very well grow. "I just want to go somewhere in a really good conference," he said. - The Oregonian
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Summer 04: Wolfinger finished his HS career as the second leading FT shooter in his HS's history at 86%.

05/28/04: "(Coach) Yarnell indicated that Boise State remains interested, but Wolfinger is looking at going to prep school - a route older brother Jack took before signing with St. John's." - theInsidersHoops.com

05/24/04: "he's such a late bloomer. From his freshman year to his senior year, he's just improved so much and worked hard, and in another year he'll just be better and better." - Wolfingers HS coach, thru OregonPreps.com

05/07/04: Wolfinger offered by DePaul.

05/03/04: "This past season, Wolfinger averaged 14.3 points and 8.5 rebounds, leading Aloha to a rare playoff appearance. Despite his skinny body, Wolfinger was able to be a presence down low, and also showed a soft touch from the perimeter - his 84.9 free throw shooting was one of the top marks in the state. However, at only 210 pounds, Wolfinger does realize he needs more time to build muscle and mass, and plans to do so at the college level. "He wants to redshirt," said Yarnell. "He recognizes his own body." - TheInsidersHoops.com

03/06/04: "Joe Wolfinger, a 7-foot, 205-pound center, is averaging 14.5 points and nine rebounds for an Aloha team that has lost three times to fourth-ranked Jesuit - most recently by one point - and has two close losses to No. 6 Sunset in its seven defeats. "He's been the difference-maker as our leading rebounder and scorer," Yarnell says of Wolfinger.