It is only fitting that James Polasky celebrated his 19th birthday on Saturday inside a college locker room, as basketball was a piece of cake last season at the now-defunct Thunder Mountain High School for the 6’7” Falcons graduate who was a key part of that team’s run to the state championship game.

The St. Olaf College Oles (OH-leez) surprised their freshman big man with cake and candles Saturday after practice.

“It was a little bit of a surprise,” Polasky said. “But coach does it for everybody on the team so I kind of knew it was coming. We do a lot of little things like that…shooting half-court shots at the end of practice before game days. If you make the shot, you get a Gatorade. Coach awards players with a Gatorade or Powerade…We say a prayer before every game…pregame speeches with a lot of the same quotes…things like that which I really like.”

And St. Olaf College head men’s basketball coach Daniel Kosmoski really likes Polasky.

“The Ole basketball team is going through growing pains in that we have 10 new and first-year players on a roster of 15,” Kosmoski said. “James has fit right in and continued to progress in practice, and also a few games this season. Like most first years, they are learning a new system and the adjustment of college basketball, and its academic rigors. James continues to improve in all areas and is extremely beloved by all his teammates. His smile is infectious and we are so glad he is wearing the black and gold colors of St. Olaf. He has a bright future ahead of him.”

A STARTING FIVE OF QUESTIONS

1 – First Day on Campus

“I was very nervous. I was talking to my mom the day before she dropped me off and I was just thinking that I’m going to a new school in a new place where I had only talked to Kos (coach Kosmoski). I didn’t know a single other person on campus and know anybody else on the team. I had texted with most of them but it was a completely new environment, new people, new everything… definitely super nerve-wracking. After the first week things began feeling more normal and I settled in pretty quick.

2 – First Day of Practice

“It was definitely a lot different than high school. We worked on a lot more offense and defense stuff, the terminology and everything is so much different…When we’re on the floor or on the court it is not just drills and conditioning, it is a lot of technical stuff, scouting teams…The first week was pretty much learning all of our plays and terminology. Then just going up and down a lot and building chemistry with everybody.”

3 – First Game

“Definitely different. It was such a fast pace. You watch so much more film in college and what you see is so much different than being out there on the court. As soon as you step on it is like, well, it took me a couple games to get up to speed with everybody else because everything is just going so fast…It is starting to slow down now though.”

4 – Travel to Games

“We bus everywhere, a lot nicer than having to fly. You are not going nearly as far we did in high school. We have only had two overnights, two tournaments early in the season, just a quick two games and one night…When I tell teammates that we flew, they can’t believe it and think it is crazy…It’s funny telling people that I flew to all my games in high school, and they think it is funny.”

5 – Favorite Moment on the Court

“Probably against Concordia at their place (Northfield, Minnesota)…One of my teammates I am a little bit closer with, Luther (Tostrud), it was a little early in transition, I think we threw a turnover or something and the ball was getting bobbled around a little bit, and then I ended up coming up with it and tipped it out to Luther, and he got a dunk on the open lane and that was pretty cool. That was a cool little connection there.”

The Oles are young. They are 3-20 overall and 2-13 in the Division III Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC). Kosmoski sees Polasky as an important piece of the Oles’ future. Normally a freshman would have a year of upperclassmen pounding him daily in practice to grow and learn, and he is averaging roughly six minutes a game.

“This season and this year has just been a lot of just getting used to everything,” Polasky said. “Now that I know what to expect I know how to go into the offseason. I need to get faster and quicker and all that stuff…keep shooting and just keep working, but at another level. Also just studying the game, not just on the court but you also need to be learning, watching film, all that sort of stuff. The same for school stuff, just keep reading and learning, language is really tough too, there are a lot of things to keep up with.”

St. Olaf is ranked as high as sixth among top national liberal arts colleges. Their St. Olaf lion mascot Ole represents the strength, freedom and courage of their college students and is derived from the college’s seal, which is based on Norway’s coat of arms.

Continued Polasky, “Both academically and in sports it is a blessing to be here at such a nice school with such good people all around me. Just to not take anything for granted. There are not very many people that get to compete at the next level like I do and go to a good school like it is here and be around such good people every day. I try to learn from everybody, just have an open mind and not take any day for granted.”

Undecided on his major, Polasky has been considering economics or kinesiology.

“So far I have taken a couple economics classes that I have enjoyed,” he said. “But I’m still testing it out. I haven’t really done too much in the kinesiology department yet…I still want to get a better feel for everything before deciding.”

One thing is certain. Polasky is enjoying his studies and his Gatorade.

“I like orange though,” he said. “Orange has a pretty good flavor.”

• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@juneauempire.com.