Nick Kellogg, former Columbus standout at St Francis DeSales High School, is currently playing professionally in France for Chorale Roanne Basket. Kellogg is contributing 8.0 PPG, 2.2 RPG, & shooting 92% at the FT line for his team which currently has a 12-4 record. He ended his successful playing career for Ohio University as the all-time record holder in the Mid-American Conference for career 3-point shots made. Just Hoops is very fortunate to have Nick work with our athletes for 1 on 1 personal training’s, clinics & team workouts throughout his off-season.
What advice would you give to younger players: Play for what you can give the game, not the other way around. Too many times guys play the game for the wrong reasons and it translates to the court at some point. If you’re playing for what you think the game can give you, then you are doing it wrong. Learn the game and the fundamentals and play for the love of it. The extra stuff is fine but if that is your sole motivation then you won’t make it very far.
What is your favorite quote that translates to basketball & life: “Fair is not equal.” This was a quote told to me by my pops. It’s applicable to all facets of life. Sports, the workplace, relationships you name it. Fair is not always equal. Fair playing time for two players on a team doesn’t necessarily mean the same amount of minutes. Fair pay for two employees doesn’t necessarily equate to the same dollar amount. You’ll save yourself some trouble if this is something you grasp early in life. You can’t worry about what you think is fair or unfair in regards to someone else.
Most memorable highlight from your playing career at DeSales: Getting the opportunity to play Varsity my freshman year with my older brother, Alex. It was one of the best teams in school history. We made it to the state semi-final game before losing to Dayton Dunbar. Dunbar went on to win the championship but the experience was something I’ll never forget.
What was the biggest adjustment for you on the court when you began your freshman year at OU: Understanding that you aren’t the “man” anymore. Everyone playing at the division 1 level on your respective team was typically the “man” at their respective high schools. So you’re coming into an environment with a lot of talent and you have to adjust your mindset and attitude accordingly or you’re setting yourself up for failure.
What are you most proud of during your career at Ohio University: Being a part of arguably the best team in school history, and reaching the 3rd round of the NCAA (Sweet 16).
What is your mindset when you go to the gym to work on your game: Be a “get from guy”, not a “get through” guy. “Get through” guys go to workouts and simply make sure they get through it. They do the drills at a good pace to finish the workout. “Get guys” have a different level of intensity and work to get something FROM the workout. Regardless of how small, those are the guys that improve the fastest because they pick something to focus on in every workout that they will take FROM each workout.
How can players use Just Hoops to improve their game: Just Hoops is a great place for kids to work on specific parts of their game. It gives them the opportunity to get a lot of shooting repetition in as well as challenging ball handling workouts. I believe the 1 on 1 training provides kids with another unique option to improve their skills and learn from coaches who are knowledgeable and experienced in the game of basketball.
