DAVENPORT, Iowa -- For Jake Meeske, everything's coming full circle.
"It's definitely bittersweet," said Meeske, a guard at St. Ambrose University in Davenport.
He put in four years on the court at United Township High School in East Moline.
"You always have the support from your community," said Meeske. "You always have the support from your family. My family comes to all of my games. That's really been a blessing in my life at UT and at Ambrose."
Now he's wrapping up four years playing across the river at St. Ambrose.
"I think it was a good step for us to get to the tournament because we hadn't been there in a while," said Meeske. "But now we know what it takes and what we're gonna have to do and how hard it's going to be every game so we're ready for that challenge."
Jake's a quiet leader on and off the court, doing damage when you'd least expect it.
"He might not be that big, but he's super quick," said John Kerr, a junior on the team. "He has really good ball handling ability. And he's able to get to the basket. You never would've guessed it but he's just so good at it."
"He does a number of things," said Ray Shovlain, the Fighting Bees' coach of 37 seasons. "He can shoot the ball well, pass and he's a versatile player. That fits in really well with what we do."
But his coach and teammates say his biggest impact might be outside of the boxscore.
"He's a great leader," said Kerr. "Always trying to push everyone to get better. Always working very hard at practice,"
Jake's biggest focus this season is soaking in every moment while he still can. And with any luck this might not be the end of his basketball career.
"I really plan on coaching so hopefully I can stay around this area even and continue with the game that I love," said Meeske.