Men's Basketball: Fresh-faced forward makes early impact

Eight games into his basketball career, freshman forward Denton Koon has already had an impact on his team. He is coming off of his best game of the season, in which he went six-for-seven from the field for 13 points. He also grabbed seven rebounds, four of them on the offensive glass, to help the Tigers beat Lafayette 69-54. Perhaps the most exciting aspect of his performance was the two dunks that fired up the home crowd.

Koon, born and raised in Missouri, had always wanted to play Division I basketball, and Princeton has turned out to be a great fit for him.

“It was a dream to play [Division I] basketball since I can remember,” Koon said. “I chose Princeton for many reasons. The tradition of the basketball program, the great kids on the team, the campus and location of the school and the academic prestige [were all factors].”

Thus far, Koon says he has had a smooth transition into college life. Apart from a couple of college visits the summer before his senior year of high school, Koon had never been to the East Coast.

“So far, the biggest change is just being alone and away from my family for an extended period for the first time,” Koon said. “Overall, though, life isn’t too different, and so far the weather has been pretty similar, so that’s nice.”

Growing up, Koon played many sports, and even through high school, his athleticism allowed him to be a multi-sport athlete. But like many Division I athletes, he eventually had to focus on just one.

“I played almost every sport at some point growing up, but in high school it was down to just basketball,” Koon said.

Koon partook in Princeton’s Freshman Scholars Institute program this past summer, which gave him some time to acclimate himself to life away from the Midwest. He appreciated the experience, which allowed him to make memories and meet fellow members of the Class of 2015.

“I’ll make a shout-out to my friends [freshmen] Brian Fabrizius, Quinn Epperly, and Garrit Leicht for allowing me to witness the greatest dorm room water balloon/laundry detergent fights in FSI history,” Koon said. “I was [also] able to go with a few friends from the basketball team to New York City for a night, and we made it to a Yankees game, which was a great experience.”

Koon would like to continue his basketball career after college. He admires Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward and hopes to follow in his footsteps one day.

“I really enjoy watching Gordon Hayward,” Koon said. “I think he has a great game. I like that he went to a mid-major [Division I] school and worked so hard to make it to the NBA. Watching him lead that Butler team to the Final Four was incredible and definitely something worth learning from … I would like to continue my career as long as possible — playing ball is my favorite thing to do.”