Basketball Captain, Collin Vick, Commits to UW-Stout
Collin Vick commits to UW-Stout to further his academic and athletic career.
March 21, 2023
For Collin Vick, sports have been the center point of his life since the time he could pick up a ball. Vick spent his childhood and teenage years playing football, basketball and baseball here in Owatonna. Being a varsity captain in both football and basketball, Vick displays strong leadership and love for the game. However, his love for basketball shines through the rest. Having been inspired by his father, Vick’s basketball fascination began at a young age.
Vick said, “I like every aspect of the sport: offense, defense, passing. I like it all.” With basketball only having five guys on the court at a time, Vick enjoys the aspect of teamwork and being able to set eachother up for success.
Having been involved in the basketball community for so long, Vick has a great amount of memories centered around the sport. Some stand out moments in Vick’s career include playing in the state tournament at Target Center, and having a successful overnight trip in Duluth.
Vick said, “It was a lot of fun being able to share these experiences with my teammates like when we got to spend some time on Lake Superior.” Basketball was able to bring Vick lots of memorable moments both on and off the court.
Although Vick recently received an all-conference recognition, basketball has not always come easily to him. Growing up, Vick was not always the stand out player on the court. He soon enough realized that hard work was the key to success. Vick was dedicated to bettering his skills and becoming the outstanding athlete he is viewed as today.
Vick said, “I put in a lot of time and a lot of effort just to make myself better and develop my skills.” All of Vick’s hard work paid off allowing his team to win the conference and section championship throughout his career.
Vick’s dedication to the game of basketball awarded him the opportunity to commit to the University of Wisconsin- Stout to further his academic and athletic career. Being a middle sized school not far from home, Stout checked all the boxes for Vick. From the friendly coaching staff, beautiful campus and atmosphere of the school, Vick knew UW-Stout was for him.
Vick said, “My first impression of the program was really positive just based on the kindness the coaches showed me.” From the moment the coaches reached out to Vick, he knew it would be a good fit.
Throughout his high school career, Vick has put up record numbers and accomplished remarkable feats. Just this year, Vick became just the second player in OHS history to record a triple double.
Head basketball coach Josh Williams boasts about Vicks strong work ethic, incredible skill set, and leadership mentality. Williams claims Vick is as coachable of a kid as there is.
“He was absolutely amazing that game and WAS the reason we won that game. No question.”
Williams said, “One of my favorite memories with Collin was his playoff performance his senior year against Century. He was absolutely amazing that game and WAS the reason we won that game. No question.” Vick’s legacy will continue to live on at OHS long after he graduates this spring.
Now that Vick reflects on his career so far, he thinks about the youth coming up to replace his shoes. Based on his experiences Vick has good advice to give to the youth basketball players of Owatonna.
He said, “Coaches really notice if you are a hard worker so if you’re a competitor, you will find a way on the floor.”
Younger players can learn from Vick’s strong work ethic and incredible leadership skills in order to succeed in their futures. Vick has served as a role model to the youth of Owatonna and will continue to do so as he moves forward in his basketball career at UW- Stout.
