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You may have heard West St. Paul mentioned during the NCAA Final Four basketball tournament as freshman Jalen Suggs nailed a highlight-worthy buzzer beater to win the game. The player bios for Suggs, a freshman playing for Gonzaga University in Washington, frequently list West St. Paul as his hometown.
Suggs only spent a few early years here in West St. Paul before moving to St. Paul, but he does have deep roots across the border with the West Side Boosters. He played both basketball and football (he was recruited to play college football but turned it down) with the West Side Boosters, returns to talk to the kids, and has donated awards to the program. The West Side Boosters are a family affair—his dad coaches, his younger sister still plays, and his mom has served on the board.
“Suggs is a heck of an athlete,” said West Side Boosters Vice President Bob Cruz. “He’s a good kid, and humble too.”
Suggs won three straight state basketball titles playing for Minnehaha Academy (which some press mistakenly credit to West St. Paul!), only missing out on a fourth thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic ending the season early. Though he still managed to become the first player to win the Minnesota Mr. Basketball and Mr. Football awards. In 2020, he went to play for Gonzaga and is likely to be a top pick in this year’s NBA Draft.
The Final Four performance valted Suggs into the spotlight, though he’s been building buzz all season. Making clutch plays is nothing new for Suggs.
“I think that’s just part of my competitive nature and my competitive spirit,” Suggs told the Star Tribune back in November. “That’s something that I’ve had since I was a little kid. When the stage is big and the opponent is even bigger, I’m ready to go out and play. Just to make a statement.”
The NCAA Championship game is Monday, April 5 with the Gonzaga Bulldogs facing the Baylor Bears.
July 30, 2021 Update: Drafted
The Orlando Magic chose Jalen Suggs as the fifth overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
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3 Responses
West Side of St. Paul, not West St. Paul. 2 different cities
Hey Mike: No, it’s both. As I said in the article, he lived a few years in the City of West St. Paul, according to my conversation with Bob Cruz of the West Side Boosters. But he definitely has deeper roots in the West Side with all his connections with the Boosters.
And c’mon, do you really need to explain to me that they’re two different cities?
It is so great to watch youth football and other sports here in St Paul’s West Side. Also great to watch Sibley Area youth hockey at WSP Ice Arena on Emerson. A HUGE Thank You to the Boosters & WSP for all the fun you have given me!