With trembling hands, senior Bryan Knapp set down his phone. The constant calls with coaches and stress-inducing national basketball tournaments that had consumed his life for the past two years were over. He had just committed to play Division I basketball at Cornell University.

Knapp will be the first CESJDS student to play Division I basketball since alumnus Eitan Chemerinski (‘09), who was also recruited to play basketball at Cornell.

Knapp began playing competitive basketball when he was nine years old after a family friend recommended he try out for an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) team, a top youth travel basketball organization in the United States. Originally, Knapp’s athleticism was the only attribute that allowed him to keep up with the other players on the team, as they all possessed more skill and a higher basketball IQ than he did. Knapp decided to dedicate himself to improving his skills and today believes that, thanks to his effort, he is a vital part of his AAU team.

“When I joined [AAU,] I was one of the weaker players on the team,” Knapp said. “My competitiveness was an impetus for me to work harder and get better.”

His hard work has also translated into success in PVAC, where he recently led the JDS Lions to an undefeated regular season record and a championship appearance, all while winning the league’s Most Valuable Player award.

JDS varsity basketball coach Dave McCloud has the highest of praises for Knapp. He said that he has not seen anyone outplay Knapp and that he has never respected a player more.

“[He is] one of the best two or three players in the DMV,” McCloud said. “He’s worked hard to get there, too; he deserves all the accolades.”

Knapp’s constant training has helped him get to the place he is today, but it has also had some downsides. Although Knapp said that his social life has been limited due to his commitment, he still supports his decision to prioritize basketball.

“I love basketball,” Knapp said. “It’s not to say that I’m an introvert or an unfriendly guy because I am [not,] but I definitely like the grind.”

Another reason why Knapp rarely gets to socialize is that his AAU team tends to travel. A lot. He has played in many different places, including Las Vegas, Dallas, Cocoa Beach, Fla. and Orlando. Additionally, Knapp has played for Maccabi USA’s basketball team in Chile and, next summer, will go to Israel to play in the Maccabi Games. There, he will play against the best Jewish basketball players from around the world.

Knapp also went with the JDS boys varsity basketball team to Memphis to compete in the Cooper Invitational Tournament in 2013 and 2015, and will go back for his final time this November. The tournament allows Knapp to showcase his talents against strong competition on a national level.

In terms of the recruiting process, Knapp said that McCloud and JDS helped him by contacting schools that interested him, but the school’s main form of assistance in his recruitment process was academics.

“JDS has a very strong [academic] profile, which means that for academic schools that are looking at me, it gives me more legitimacy because I go to a school where academics are very important,” Knapp said.

When making his decision about where to go to college, Knapp prioritized his education. He wanted a school that valued its academics as much as its athletics, and while that is one of the reasons why he chose Cornell, Knapp said it is not the only one. Cornell was one of the schools that recruited Knapp for the longest amount of time and ultimately made him feel the most welcomed. Knapp also formed a special bond with Cornell assistant coach Jon Jacques.

“Jacques knows Cornell basketball like nobody else because he has been there for many years now, so he is obviously very well versed with their program,” Knapp said.

A former Cornell basketball player, Jacques was Knapp’s main Cornell contact throughout the recruiting process. He made Knapp feel comfortable at Cornell by guiding him through the recruitment process and helping him understand the way Cornell works for student athletes. (Under NCAA and Ivy League rules, Coach Jacques was unable to be interviewed for this article.)

Senior Nadav Kalender, a member of the JDS boys varsity basketball team, has played with Knapp since they were in seventh grade. He and Knapp have formed a strong bond through their years of playing together.

“Basketball has made us competitive with each other,” Kalender said. “We are both very competitive people. We went from being friends that play basketball together to hardcore opponents on the court. We are always best friends off the court.”

Kalender spoke with Knapp often throughout his recruitment process and acted as a trustworthy source in whom Knapp could confide in times of stress.

Once Knapp committed to Cornell, Kalender said he noticed that Knapp seemed much more relaxed and as if a large burden had been lifted from him.

“After I called Cornell’s head coach about committing, I was outside on the front porch, and I just hung up and started bawling because that was the end of the process for me,” Knapp said.

According to Knapp, his recruitment was a very difficult process, saying that the past year was one of the most stressful of his life.

“During the [AAU] season, when we would go to various tournaments I would find myself very emotional,” Knapp said. “If I had a bad game I would go home or go to the hotel and I would be upset because it really feels like by missing certain shots my future is hanging in the balance.”

Now committed, Knapp feels less stress and can focus on preparing for the upcoming school basketball season, his final one as a Lion.

“The goal is to win and unfortunately the expectations for us from the rest of the conference is not to win, but that’s fine and I think we will,” Knapp said.

Knapp has yet to win a tournament championship in his JDS basketball career and looks to change that with this upcoming season.

“I’ve been here for five years and we haven’t won,” Knapp said. “I have an expectation of myself that I will help my team win and I have not done that yet.”