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Big Ambition
How Schultz is getting the most out of his UJ experience. by Michael Savaloja
“Above and beyond” is a simplistic phrase that all too often gets categorized as cliché: How far has one reached to advance a cause or enrich those and the institutions around them? But in many instances, a great deal of not-so-simple mental and physical capital was first invested by a determined individual bound to make a difference.
University of Jamestown senior Devon Schultz is an above-and-beyond example of what can be achieved with the right attitude, work ethic and – yes – a dash of God-given talent.
“It’s been a process,” explained University of Jamestown head men’s basketball coach Danny Neville, who recruited the 6-foot-11 Schultz to campus in the fall of 2017, part of a strong frontcourt recruiting effort that included current fifth-year senior Brady Birch and 2021 graduate Brock Schrom.
“But he’s had a lot of people that have been on his side and have pushed him. He needed that and – just like anything – when you see some results, you want more and more and more.”
Schultz, raised by his mother, Sara, 60 miles southwest of Minneapolis in Arlington, Minnesota, never saw himself attending a smaller university. An allconference star on the local high school basketball team – the Sibley East Wolverines – Schultz envisioned leaving his small-town roots and blending in on a campus where few would ever bother to know his name.
But UJ and the brand-new Harold Newman Arena quickly became too enticing to pass up, and the college freshman who had always been one of the best players in a Minnesota Class 2A gymnasium showed up to campus excited to play and … vastly out of shape.
“I came in very overweight,” said Schultz, who was averaging a career-best 6.4 points and 6.3 rebounds per game for the Jimmies in January at a seemingly slender 260 pounds for the nearly 7-foot-tall post. “But I had the mentality of like, ‘Ok, just be aggressive and you’ll get your playing time.’”
Schultz’s first season was spent redshirting, and in 2018-19 he played Jimmie JV ball while Birch and Schrom, now sophomores in eligibility, again made varsity. The following season, and after the graduation of all-conference forward Leighton Sampson, Schultz was still largely too unpolished for the challenges he’d face under the bucket in the Great Plains Athletic Conference.
But throwing in the towel on himself, his teammates and his education wasn’t an option.
Schultz kept working, he kept studying and pursued interests on and off the court, fortifying his future. A business administration major with a concentration in marketing, Schultz is also set to graduate this spring with minors in computer graphic design and online journalism and social media.
“I think there are some students that make a lot of noises, but they’re empty noises,” said UJ Professor of Marketing Dr. Mort Sarabakhsh, who has instructed 10 classes of Schultz’s coursework. “He’s a very softspoken man and very attentive.
“He’s one of those students I would never forget, not only because he’s a tall fellow, but when you talk to him it’s been 100% attention. That behavior and mannerism – and personality – I think can help him a long way in his professional and personal life.”
Schultz migrated to UJ’s Reiland Fine Arts Center and Dr. Aaron McDermid, UJ’s Director of Choral Activities, in 2019. Initially spurred by his mother, who made him sing a solo as a junior in the Sibley East High choir, Schultz realized he not only enjoyed singing, but it was something at which he could excel.
Online TikTok performances first gained Schultz’s singing notoriety campus-wide, and his original song “With No Sound” can currently be heard on Spotify and all major streaming platforms.
Ironically, the tall Jimmie basketball center was blessed with short vocal cords, and Dr. McDermid was all but forced to move Schultz and the rest of UJ Concert Choir’s first-part tenors from the top fourth row of the risers to row No. 3, which helped to accommodate the soaring musician proportionally to his crooning peers.
“The first year I didn’t think to do anything about it, because the (first tenors) stand in the back row. You definitely noticed him there,” Dr. McDermid lightheartedly recalled. “It’s just been a joy having him in the choir. He could really make a career of singing, I think, if all the stars align for him.”
Professionally, Schultz hopes to someday see himself climbing the social media marketing ladder between composing new songs to upload.
“Obviously, the dream is to be a big shot in some company somewhere,” Schultz said. “To be honest, I’m more of a ‘go with the flow’ type of guy.”
That could very well be true, but an against-the-grain inner drive to keep believing in himself has made a remarkable impact on the once underprepared freshman who could’ve easily looked at the challenging road ahead and chose a simpler path.
Back on the court, Schultz – in his fifth year – is now an integral part of UJ basketball. He had garnered seven starts for the 15-2 and nationally ranked Jimmies by early January, averaging 15.3 minutes of playing time over the 17 games.
Schultz averaged just 4.6 minutes of court time in 36 prior games for the orange and black.
“When I wasn’t playing, I was always happy for the other guys that were playing. I was never, like, one of those guys to be sour … I just cared about winning and whatever it took,” Schultz said. “I just had to keep trusting the process. Coach Neville had a good talk with me at the end of last year, basically saying, ‘This is your last year next year, you need to just give it your all…’ I’m so grateful that we had that talk.”
Neville, in his seventh season heading up the Jimmies, knows not every student-athlete could persevere to Schultz’s extent. It can be argued UJ’s culture of opportunities played a large part.
“It’s been awesome,” Neville said. “To me, it’s a lifelong lesson. The time you put in, the hard work you put in and all that. He can take that with him the rest of his life.”
And, at skyscraper height, Schultz will be a UJ and Jimmie basketball ambassador for life, as well.
“I’ll go to Wal-Mart and end up talking to random people about basketball for 30 minutes,” Schultz laughed. “It’s nice though, because they’ll ask about the team if they’re not really familiar with the University of Jamestown or Jimmie basketball.
