The Truman State basketball team will have two Zeils on campus next year.
Park Hill senior Nic Zeil recently tweeted he will attend the Great Lakes Valley Conference school next season, following in the footsteps of his brother, Tanner, a redshirt sophomore.
“It brought a little familiarity knowing everyone but in the end I think I still would’ve picked there,” Zeil said of if his brother playing there helped.
Zeil, a 6-foot-7 forward garnered interest from Emporia State, Southwest Baptist, Missouri Southern and University of Chicago, but in the end the Kirksville school was the best fit.
BRANDON MISENER/Special to the Citizen
Park Hill’s Nic Zeil shoots a free throw during a game on Dec. 19 in Kansas City. Zeil has committed to play at Truman State next year, where his brother is a member of the basketball team.
Zeil moved into the starting lineup this year for the Trojans and has spent time working in practice with the likes of Cecil Lee and Roman Wilson, which has only made him better.
He scored 5.5 points per game, while grabbing 4.4 rebound per game last winter. He shot 33.3 percent from the 3-point line and shot 46.6 percent from the field.
But this season Zeil is the Trojans’ leading scorer, as he’s averaging 18 points per game, most recently scoring 17 points in last Wednesday’s 53-48 upset victory over rival Park Hill South, ranked third in the state polls.
He averaged 19 points per game in a three-game Liberty North Tournament earlier this month and scored 25 against North Kansas City in the season opener.
“Nic is a talented post player that can play with his back to the basket or stretch the defense with his 3-point shooting ability,” Park Hill coach Chad Jones said. “He is an extremely hard working player that will do well at the college level.
He is expected to be a forward or center for Jeff Horner’s squad.
Notes
West Platte’s Lara Lieske was selected to play in the MO-KAN All-Star volleyball match on Nov. 18 at Avila. … Park Hill linebacker Seth Garrison tweeted he will play at Missouri Western. … Park Hill South product Ryan Welty played for a Division II all-star basketball team this summer that toured Brazil, playing for Missouri Southern coach Jeff Boschee. Welty just started his junior season at Northwest Missouri State – which is ranked No. 2 in the D-II poll. … Platte County’s Ethan Esdohr tweeted that he’s committed to Pittsburg State’s baseball program. … Park Hill South product Annika Welty won a Big East volleyball championship in her first year at Creighton. … Platte County graduate and current West Virginia wrestler Matthew Schmitt claimed his first collegiate tournament win with a 5-0 record at the Hokie Open in Roanoke Virginia on Nov. 4. … Park Hill product Colston DiBlasi recently transferred to George Mason after three years at Iowa State. The three-time MSHSAA state champion is currently 5-2 at the 165-pound weight class.