JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Donte Tisinger has evolved into more than just the top scorer and inspirational leader of the championship-caliber Greater Johnstown High School boys basketball team.
A senior with 1,362 career points, Tisinger also is one of the hardest workers away from the court and an excellent student in the classroom.
When Tisinger officially put pen to paper Monday and signed his National Letter of Intent to join NCAA Division I member Boston University, his teammates, coaches and many family members packed the concourse at the Greater Johnstown High School auditorium.
“He’s inspired his teammates, not just on the basketball court, but off the basketball court,” Trojans coach Ryan Durham said. “When he was going through the recruiting process and the Ivy League schools that were recruiting him reached out, it made our other players pick up their education courses and sign up for AP (advanced placement) courses and up their curriculum.
“It shows that his leadership is more than what’s done on the basketball court.”
His teammates cheered Tisinger on as he signed. Then they gathered around him, using their cellphones to record Tisinger being interviewed by the local media.
While unofficial, school administrators and coaches believed Tisinger is the first Trojans boys basketball player to commit to a NCAA Division I program since Kurt Hoffman signed with St. Francis University in 2006.
Tisinger is closing in on the boys program’s all-time scoring mark of 1,533 set by Hoffman, who as a junior played on a state runner-up Trojans team.
“It’s a very humbling experience. I just give all grace to God,” said Tisinger, who as a junior averaged 23.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.9 assists a game as the Trojans won the program’s 31st District 6 championship and reached the second round of the PIAA Class 4A tournament.
“Thank you to all the coaches, my family and friends for being with me through this process.”
A second-team all-state selection in Class 4A during the 2023-24 season, Tisinger will join a Boston University program that reached the Patriot League Tournament semifinals and finished 16-17 overall, 10-8 in the league under coach Joe Jones.
“When I went up there, it just felt like home,” Tisinger said. “I connected with the players and the coaches very well. They have a winning culture up there. My dream is always to play in the NCAA Tournament. That’s somewhere I could do that.”
The son of Donte Sr. and Nicole Tisinger appreciated the opportunities that his dedication to basketball and his schoolwork provided.
Approximately 20 colleges showed interest in Tisinger, who received nine official offers. He made official visits to Boston and Columbia University, and also considered Lehigh University to be among his top three options.
“All the trips I went on, all the coaches that have communicated with me, talked to me. It was a very fun journey,” Tisinger said. “I learned, ‘Don’t take anything for granted.’ ”
Tisinger thanked his parents and family as well as his coaches. Assistant coaches Marcus Tullis and Marcus Martin also participated in Monday’s signing.
“(Coach Durham) probably has been one of the biggest people in my life,” Tisinger said. “He just pushes me every day to be great.
“They prepare me very well. They push me every day to be the best player I can be,” Tisinger said of the coaching staff. “I just have to keep working and try to be college-ready as fast as possible.”
