Quinn Nielsen '23:

Shooting Hoops at 6’10”



Nico Jaffer for The Gator | September 28, 2021

Nielsen celebrates after shooting a two-handed flush. Video courtesy of Score4More.

Nielsen celebrates after shooting a two-handed flush. Video courtesy of Score4More.

Nielsen dunks at a Mass Rivals game. Illustration by Jackson Ostrowski ’23.

Nielsen dunks at a Mass Rivals game. Illustration by Jackson Ostrowski ’23.

Quinn Nielsen '23 has already received Division I offers as an 11th-grader. He’s still aiming for the next level.

Out of all men’s high school basketball players in the country, only 1.01 percent can receive the highest level of athletic competition in college: playing at a Division I school. One of these well-regarded individuals is the School’s own Quinn Nielsen ‘23.

Nielsen was recruited to the School in 2019 by Varsity I Basketball Coach and Assistant Athletic Director Tom Nelson, who said he saw “great talent and promise” in him.

Already, many colleges are looking his way. The head coaches of St. Peter’s University and Siena College, both NCAA Division 1 colleges, have offered him a place on their teams. 

While the college process is just starting for many others in his grade, Nielsen is already guaranteed a spot in a top basketball program—although he says he is yet to make a decision on where he will attend. 

At 6 feet 10 inches tall, Nielsen has a clear height advantage in basketball.

However, raw talent can only get you so far, according to Nielsen. To make it to these elite colleges, he needs determination, passion, intensity, and resilience. 

Nelson, who serves as a mentor to many of the basketball players he coaches, has high praise for Nielsen.


"Quinn is one of the most determined young men that I’ve ever met. His drive is second to none, and his perseverance has allowed him to overcome a lot of obstacles, which has put him in the position he is now."
Nielson's Coach, Tom Nelson

Video courtesy of Tom Nelson.

Video courtesy of Tom Nelson.

Many athletes recall experiencing times when giving up seems like the only option. Nielsen said he has hit a wall like this before.

“When it feels like I’ve hit a plateau when I’m not getting any better, those are the toughest moments,” Nielsen said. “You feel a sense of hopelessness, and you want to give up, but you can’t let those times get you down.”

Nielsen has a piece of advice for athletes who are hitting this wall: “You have to get over those hard times and get back to focusing on your goals.”

The Hingham native wasn’t always a basketball superstar. In fact, his origin is a lot different than one might expect.

“Both of my parents were avid tennis players, so naturally, I gravitated towards it as well,” Nielsen said. “However, as I got taller, people started suggesting I play basketball, so I just went for it. I’ve worked super hard to get to the place that I am now.”

Nielsen also acknowledges the importance that Nelson played in his aspiring basketball career.

“Tom is just a great guy. He’s made me into a better player than I could have ever dreamed of being, and he’s also made me into a better person overall,” Nielsen said. “He’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met.”

Nielsen sees his Division I offers as some of his proudest moments.

Just days after finishing 10th grade, several prestigious colleges contacted Nielsen, with Siena College and St. Peters University sending offers.

Having the ability to play on an NCAA Division 1 roster is a rare opportunity, and being offered by multiple schools as an 11th-grade student is almost unheard of. His fans say that all that is left to do for Nielsen is to keep training hard, playing well, and wait to make his all-important decision.

In addition to spending hours every week on the basketball court, Nielsen is a top runner on the School's Varsity Cross Country Team.

Cross Country Head Coach Evan Holman, Nielsen's other coach, is impressed with Quinn and his basketball teammates' abilities to jump head-first into a sport like Cross Country.

In his first Cross Country race ever, Nielsen finished in third place with a 5K time of 21:24. His fast first race makes him one of the fastest runners in the Massachusetts Bay Independent League–based on one race time alone.

After the meet, like most days, Nielsen headed to the basketball court for a hard workout. Multi-sport athletes are common at the School, but Nielsen and his teammates have continually impressed their coaches of both sports.

"What they do is very admirable and courageous. I understand the kind of work that you put in to do two sports, and I think Quinn understands that as well," Holman said. "I always see him trying to push everyone else. He's just a good teammate and also a good leader."

But running isn't all Nielsen is up to during the school year.

In addition to playing for the Varsity I team at the School, Nielson is a part of Mass Rivals, a basketball club made up of student-athletes across Massachusetts.

Nielson and Ismani Cepeda '22 finish a 5K race at Larz Anderson Park in 5th and 7th place. Photo courtesy of Prentice Zinn.

Nielson and Ismani Cepeda '22 finish a 5K race at Larz Anderson Park in 5th and 7th place. Photo courtesy of Prentice Zinn.

The Mass Rivals team poses. Photo courtesy of Rivals Nation.

The Mass Rivals team poses. Photo courtesy of Rivals Nation.

A star in New England basketball, Nielson has been in the spotlight since he entered high school.

Nielsen, who plays center position on the Brimmer Varsity I squad, attempts to model his game after his favorite player, Joel Embiid, the star center for the Philadelphia 76ers.

“I aspire to be like Joel because of his dominant play style,” Nielsen said. "He’s a force in the paint, and I like how he’s very aggressive down low and he has crafty post moves.”

In his own games, Nielsen hasn't settled down just yet. He still has championships to win, and time will tell where the athlete will be in five years. But he knows he'll be on the basketball court if he can.

“Like I said, remember the name,” Nelson said.

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