Former SSHS star looking to make mark in Israel

In the summer of 2013, Jesse Winter had just graduated from SUNY Cortland where he enjoyed a remarkable basketball career, and had plans of taking his talents to Israel in pursuit of a professional career.

Those plans were put on hold, however, as the all-time leading scorer in Cortland history tore his ACL just weeks before he was scheduled to leave. After reconstructive knee surgery and a year of rehab, Winter was ready to pursue that dream once again.

“I didn’t want to regret not trying this,” said Winter, who arrived in Tel Aviv on Aug. 19. “Athletes have a small window of time to play professionally, so I felt that the time was now for me. I have a strong passion for playing basketball and I want to see how far my skills and desire could take me.”

The 5’11 guard was a standout at South Side High School, where he played baseball, soccer and basketball. In 2009, his senior season, Winter made Newsday’s all-Long Island Second Team in basketball before deciding to continue his career at Cortland.

By his sophomore season, Winter was the focal point of the Red Dragons’ offense. He led the team in scoring with 15.7 points per game and dished out 109 assists. He didn’t miss a beat his junior year, and led his team to a 24-5 record in his senior campaign. That season, he averaged north of 15 points per game again and increased his assist total to 136.

His finest moment came in February of 2013 in an 84-56 thrashing of SUNY Oneonta. The Rockville Centre native scored 13 points on the evening, and passed Jason Smith for first on the Cortland all-time scoring list with 1,421 points.

“The all-time scoring record at Cortland is something I am very proud of,” Winter said. “It is a good feeling to be able to look back at my college career and know that I had an impact on a program that is like family to me. My coaches, teammates, friends and family deserve recognition as well. They gave me a lot of inspiration and backing to reach that goal.”

Winter finished his career with 1,525 points and took Cortland to the second-round of the NCAA Division III tournament. His accomplishments upstate, coupled with his exploits in high-school, earned him a spot in the South Side Hall of Fame, where he will be inducted later this fall.

With his illustrious Cortland career, and his major knee injury, behind him, Winter is in Israel in hopes of landing a professional contract. He had to delay his initial flight because of the ongoing conflict in the region, but was able to go after an agreed cease fire between Israel and Hamas made it safe to fly in to Tel Aviv.

Winter is staying with cousins who live there, which has made the transition to a new country much smoother.

“I am lucky to have a lot of family and friends in Israel that I can lean on until I sign my first professional contract,” said Winter. “I really enjoy living abroad and having the chance to interact with a new culture. My cousins have helped me tremendously.”

So far, he has had tryouts and practices with several teams. He competed against the son of Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt who was in attendance and complimented the aspiring guard on his game. He also practiced with the former team of current NBA player Omri Casspi.

He has already received offers from some teams and is confident the right situation will present itself soon.

“I want to make a great first impression on the Israeli basketball scene,” he said. “Whatever team I end up signing with, I just hope that I am a starting point guard that can have an impact to put my team at the top of the league.”