Nick Janowski committed to Nebraska in April and signed with the Huskers in November.
“You could tell not only did they want me, they wanted my family,” Janowski said of why he chose Nebraska. “They made me feel at home. I really respected that more than any other school I ever went to.”
A four-star recruit by ESPN.com, Janowski is ranked among the nation’s top 125 seniors by 247Sports, On3, and Rivals. He chose Nebraska over reported offers from Wisconsin, Marquette, Iowa, Iowa State, Georgia Tech, Southern California and Virginia Tech.
A 6-foot-3 lefty combo-guard, Janowski will bring a 3-point shooting specialist and so much more to Lincoln when he arrives on campus in June.
“He can really really do everything. He has a gift on the floor to see his teammates,” Pewuakee coach David Burkemper said after the Pirates’ 86-73 win over New Berlin Eisenhower. “He does a great job of finding lanes. It’s interesting playing with a kid like that. He can score but he’s also a willing passer.”
Janowski was the Pirates’ second-leading scorer as a sophomore (2022-2023), scoring 23.2 points per game on a team that won its third straight Wisconsin Division II state title. He also led the team in assists (4.9 per game) and steals (1.4 per game), and was second on the team in rebounds (6.5 per game) for the season.
“I think he’s a basketball player,” Burkemper said. “He’s a special basketball player.”
A career 45-plus-percent 3-point shooter (47% in 2022-23) in his career, Janowski’s shooting stroke is as pure as it gets. His quick release and ability to find space even though he is being face-guarded at halfcourt or dealing with junk defenses like box-and-ones or triangle-and-twos most nights makes it even more impressive.
Work Ethic
Janowski’s work ethic is virtually unmatched, particularly for a high schooler.
“He’s so passionate and he outworks 99% of the people in this world. That’s just a fact,” Burkemper said.
He wakes up before most people think about starting their day to get a workout in before school, stays after practice to get more work in and ends most days lifting weights around 9 p.m.
“One of the most competitive kids I’ve ever seen at that level,” Nebraska’s Fred Hoiberg said of Janowski. “His first workout every day is at 4:30 in the morning, and then he’s in the gym usually three times, sometimes four over the course of the day.”
Vocal Leader
When you watch Janowski play you notice the elite shooting stroke and the unselfish high-level passing ability immediately.
There is also a passion to win with him. If you watch closely you see a vocal team captain and unselfish leader.
“When my teammates need me to be on them and they’re lacking, I’m on them making sure they are getting back up,” Janowksi said. “When they are down I’ve also got to pick them up and know that if I don’t we are going to lose games. But I’m not going to let that happen.”
Burkemper agrees that Pewaukee has a special leader in Janowski.
“I think this year especially the leadership part for me is what I’ve loved watching with him,” Burkemper said. “He wants to win, but he wants to win with his teammates. He makes them better, he pushes them. It’s not easy to be his teammate always but at the end of the day he believes in his teammates and that gives them confidence.”
“I think this year especially the leadership part for me is what I’ve loved watching with him,” Burkemper said.
Janowski prides himself in speaking up and being the loudest person on the court.
“It’s just the most important thing in a leader to be vocal,” he said. “If you’re silent, everybody else is silent. If you are not the loudest guy on the floor, what are you in my opinion. I think that toughness and being vocal is the biggest part in my opinion.”
Culture King
It’s to be determined if Janowski will be a star when he gets Lincoln. One thing you can guarantee with Janowski is he will do the little things it takes to help his team win.
“Nick is a kid that will accentuate and even push it to another level. He’s all about winning and basketball and being a great teammate,” Burkemper said. “He’s all about the right things. Whatever his ceiling is, I would never say he couldn’t do anything. What Nebraska is getting is a kid that can help them win. He is going to do whatever it takes to help them win.”
“It’s a killer mentality,” Janowski said.
He isn’t the most athletic player every time he steps on the floor. He doesn’t have the quick twitch you may see from top-10 prospects and he understands his limitations. His drive to win and attitude is unquestionable.
“Every time I step on the floor I have a chip on my shoulder because I’m not as athletic as most guys, because I’m smaller in the Big Ten than most guys, so every time I step on the floor, I’m going to kill you no matter what.”
