Patrick Suemnick Talks WVU Commitment, Crazy Journey To Morgantown

What a week it has been for Patrick Suemnick.

In just one week, Suemnick visited Morgantown, was offered a scholarship and committed to West Virginia. The 6-foot-8 forward came to Morgantown last weekend for his official visit. Suemnick was alongside future Mountaineer teammate Josiah Harris, who was also visiting last weekend. A weekend of a fun atmosphere that centered around the Texas Tech football game made the decision easy for Suemnick once he was offered a scholarship on Tuesday.

“It was an easy decision once I visited Morgantown. The people, fans and atmosphere that surrounded the university was something I had never seen before,” he told WV Sports Now.

The journey up to this point has been crazy for “Big Pat.”

Suemnick attended Denmark High School, about 15 minutes outside of Green Bay, Wisconsin. Suemnick led Denmark to a state semi-final appearance and averaged 19 points and 10 rebounds his senior season. Even though Suemnick showed out in his senior campaign, he was not offered a single Division I scholarship.

Suemnick decided to go to prep school at Bosco Institute to try and get noticed by a D-I school. The Wisconsin native averaged 14.7 points and 7.3 rebounds for his prep school in the 2019-20 season. The coaching staff at Robert Morris took notice of Suemnick and offered him a scholarship.

As a freshman for the Colonials, Suemnick appeared in 16 games, averaging 2.4 points, 1.6 rebounds and 8.4 minutes. Suemnick wanted to take a different route and entered the transfer portal back in April. Suemnick committed to Triton College, a JUCO located in Illinois, where he will play for the 2021-22 season.

The constant feeling of trying to impress the right people finally paid off for Suemnick when WVU head coach Bob Huggins and his coaching staff offered him a scholarship on Tuesday. Suemnick explained to WV Sports Now how he is at ease now that he will play under a future hall of fame coach.

“Choosing a school is a huge life decision, but it gives you a good peace of mind when that school is coached by a future Hall of Famer,” Suemnick said. “I’m excited to learn from him because he has proven he can help turn guys like myself into pros.”

Suemnick’s game is exactly what West Virginia basketball is all about.

Suemnick is very versatile and can play inside the paint, while also spreading the floor out to the perimeter. The forward can guard one through five and his toughness plays a big factor in that.

What does Suemnick think he can bring to a team?

“The attributes coaches liked best was my strong motor and the fact I play hard every time I’m on the court,” Suemnick said. “I think I can bring added toughness to an already physical and tough team and give the coaches the ability to play with different lineups.”

Suemnick is preparing to start his JUCO season at Triton College on Saturday and will suit up for the Mountaineers beginning in 2022. The talented future of Mountaineer basketball looks all the more promising.