WILDCAT SPOTLIGHT
By Karlie VerCauternen '27
Basketball has been Jake Downing’s primary passion since he was in the third grade. The junior Linfield University basketball player is determined to make the most of the remaining of his time on the court.
Downing has been active his whole life and spent his younger years involved in multiple sports, but the intensity of basketball won him over in middle school. “Baseball and soccer were a little too slow-paced for me,” he says. “I like basketball because it’s high-tempo and everyone’s moving around and having fun.”
After zeroing in on a single sport, Downing spent the next several years playing for school teams and getting close with the other players. These relationships proved essential when COVID hit during Downing’s junior year and he was no longer able to practice in any official capacity.
Along with a handful of other players who loved the game just as much, Downing practiced with a trainer several times a week on a modified tennis court. In a world where so much was lost so quickly, he recalls “that was our social life.” “We didn’t know anything else but playing together. We all just decided to keep doing it on our own one more year. It was just fun, and we all wanted one last ride together.”
And when he wasn’t spending his quarantine downtime on the court, Downing was contemplating his future. “I thought about college a lot. Having that season taken away from me, I was like ‘I don’t want to end here, I want four more years.’”
With the help of his trainer, Downing started reaching out to schools and made contact with Linfield. When he visited campus prior to committing, Downing was struck by the team’s exceptional dynamic. “(The players) all shook my hand and looked me in the eye,” he recalls. Downing was welcomed immediately, saying he already “felt like I was part of the team, and I was loved just as much as all the other guys.”
The idea of equal treatment for all players regardless of class level or playing time is of great import to Downing. “We all play an important role, no matter if you’re scoring 20 points a game or if you’re handing out waters on the bench. Everybody earns respect in a different way. We all need each other.”
Downing’s own role in promoting that dynamic is emphasized by fellow player Chase Bennett, who describes Downing as “a teammate you can always count on. He has a superb attitude, and he puts in the extra effort to be his best. Off the court, he’s always there for his teammates and is simply someone that you want to be around.”
Even for how close he is with his team, it’s been helpful for Downing to build communities outside of basketball. At Linfield, he’s become very involved with the Journalism and Media Studies department where he fosters his passion for photography, an interest he discovered several years ago.
“My junior year of high school, I took a photography class really thinking nothing of it, it was just to fulfill an art credit. But I loved it. I’ve always liked to draw and do some art and stuff, but I never really took it seriously until I picked up the camera. Then I was like ‘Wow, this is really fun.’ I also realized that it’s a good way to stay around sports when I’m not playing myself because I realize that after my four years here, I will be done with my basketball career.”
Through his studies, Downing has found an incredible mentor in Professor Kevin Curry who “makes us all feel so welcome. He’s so friendly and has a lot of knowledge and always encourages his students to fulfill their potential.”
Downing is a photographer for the student publication The Linfield Review, which has helped him to hone is craft and find meaning in the work he is doing. “A lot of journalism is storytelling. I never really realized it before, but I love showing emotions through my photos, especially within sports. I think a lot of the times, we never realize that sport has so much emotion attached to it.”
Downing’s “eye-opening” experiences have broadened his perspective and come back to basketball to make him more appreciative of the time he spends on the court. “Sports are an escape from real life where you can do something you enjoy and let go of your emotions and you’re kind of just free.”
As the season wraps up, Downing is making the most of that sense of freedom. “I’m really looking forward to just going to practice with the guys and hanging around them. I love all the guys on the team, so it’s really fun.”
Downing intends to maximize his remaining time as a Wildcat by making connections to help with his future and, most importantly, by living each moment to its fullest. “I’ve got one more year here after this year, so it’s kind of crazy how fast time goes. I feel like I just stepped on campus; I remember the first time I pulled up. It goes so fast, so I always make sure to tell all the freshman to enjoy their time here because I cannot believe it’s my last year here next year.”
Photo credit: Nathan Herde, Kelly Bird, Naji Saker