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Tyreese Smith
Jul 13, 2022

The Justin Houser Interview (Red Lion, PA)

Updated: Feb 10, 2023



Name: Justin Houser


Height: 6-11


Position: Power Forward/Center


High School: Phelps School (PA)


Graduation Class: 2025


AAU Club: NJ Scholars EYBL


GPA: 3.4


Offers: Lafayette, Mount St. Mary’s & NJIT


Status: Uncommitted


Justin Houser is a 6-11 Power Forward from Red Lion, Pennsylvania. He’s a rising junior transfer at The Phelps School, and runs with the New Jersey Scholars on Nike’s EYBL circuit. Houser is the younger brother of VMI freshman, Tyler Houser who he spent his first two high school seasons with at Cedar Cliff.


Houser was one of the highest prospects on my watchlist for the summer, and standing close to 7 feet, it’s not hard to see why *laughs*. What really has impressed me about Houser is that he takes sacrifices to make himself better. Traveling with the Scholars to partake in 4-hour practices in Jersey, while adding on the extra miles for AAU tournaments, he isn't afraid to meet challenges and keep it real with his development. Houser's game is growing day-by-day from his skill set to knowing how to utilize his body in the paint. I believe that he will have the chance to grow in his last two years before hitting the big stage.


I caught up with the 2024 prospect on his sophomore campaign, the move to Phelps and preparation heading into junior season.

 

Justin Houser Interview

When did you start playing basketball?

  • “I started playing basketball in kindergarten when my family lived in Red Lion. I played in a Kindergarten through second grade league in the fire hall there.”

Describe how you are as a player from the skill standpoint?

  • “I consider myself to be a highly skilled forward. I have good footwork and moves in the post, and now have expanded my game out past the three point line. I’m good off the dribble, and have really improved my face up game. I jump pretty well which helps me finish plays in the paint.”

How was your sophomore season at Cedar Cliff?

  • “We had a great team performance last year winning Mid-Penn’s, going to districts and qualifying for states. This team was so good for multiple reasons. To start, the whole team was so close by the time the grind of the season started. We were all so close like a family. Every Player on the team knew their role, and never stepped out of it which really helped the team as a whole. Whenever we were having a rough streak as a team and struggling, our team leaders Charlie Werner and Tyler would step up and we would meet as a team, just players, for lunch and would discuss what is going on and what we needed to change in order to win. Personally, I felt like I had a good year. I was definitely inconsistent at times. I learned a lot from playing with my brother in practices, and seeing how I needed to play on a daily basis. Throughout the season I learned how to overcome adversity, and tune out all the negatives by only focusing  on the positives.”

Making sacrifices along your journey is never easy. In late May, you made the announcement that you will be enrolling into the Phelps Schools to continue your high school career.

  • “There were several things that factored into my decision to transfer to The Phelps School. After they contacted me and began recruiting me, my family and I took a visit there and got a good feel for the program and how it is run by Coach Harmatuk. Right away it was obvious that player development is the main focus there. They really work with you to improve your current skills to expand, and grow your game into other areas. They are always positive and they encourage you to try new things, and allow you to play through mistakes. They will never just make me stand in the post because I am tall. They want me to dribble, shoot, drive the basketball and use my skill.  I really like the next play mentality that the staff there has as well. In a short period of time I feel like that change in approach has already helped me grow as a player. Every day in practice I am playing with and against future division one players, and the competition that we face includes some of the best players in the country. This will only make me better, and push me to improve every day. So I’d say development was the biggest reason that I chose to go there. Secondly, Phelps is a really good academic school. With smaller class sizes and resources available to help with academics, I felt like it will really help me get better prepared for college.”

You’re still at a very early stage of your career. What kinds of things are you doing to make yourself the best player you can be?

  • “I pretty much work out every day. I’m trying to get a lot of shots up. One of my strengths is as a perimeter shooter and the more you shoot the better you gets. So, I try to make a couple hundred jump shots a day. At the same time, I’m also working on my off the dribble moves and working towards perfecting my post up game. I’m also lifting weights three or four days a week because I know I need to get stronger and put on weight. I’ve been working with my nutritionist, Gabby Singer to help me put on weight. With her help, I’ve put on about 10 pounds since the end of last season. One area that I need to improve on is my ball handling. So I am doing a lot of drill work to try to become a better ball handler.”

What are your plans for the rest of summer?

  • “For the rest of the summer my plans are to keep doing what I’ve been doing. Working out pretty much every day, and trying to improve my skills and my body. My brother will be home at the end of July, and he and I will work out together until he leaves for VMI August 19.”

As you’re now at the age where you’re starting to look for college basketball opportunities, what do you ideally look for in a college?  

  • “I look for a school that would have a history of developing bigs. And also would use both inside and out. A team that would make the NCAA tournament. Ideally a school not to far from my home, but that depends on my options.”

Look, you and your brother are the tallest set of brothers I’ve ever seen. I bet the food bill is crazy *laughs*. But in a game of one-on-one, who would you say takes it?

  • “Yes, my parents complain about food bills all the time. Between all the food and the protein shakes that I eat, it costs a lot. Even though my brother is 40 pounds heavier than me, I have always eaten more than he does and it usually surprises people. Tyler and I started playing a lot more one on one after the season ended. In the beginning he used to almost always beat me. Now It’s always a close game. We’ve gotten into a few fights during one on one games. He will disagree, but I got myself winning 6 out of 10 now. I look forward to playing him again when he gets home from VMI though.”

Editor: That’s been my favorite answer all summer. I’ve never cried harder reading an email *cries laughing*.


Which athlete do you look up to the most?

  • “I look up to KD as a basketball player. We both have similar frames and I believe when I become a better ball handler, we will have similar game.”

Who do you look up to as role models?

  • “I look up to my parents as role models. I look up to them both on and off the court. Both of my parents played college sports with my mom playing D1 volleyball, and my dad hoopin’ at the Division 3 level.”

I know it is still very early, but what are you looking forward to in your junior season?

  • “I’m looking forward to getting to know my teammates first. We only spent two weekends together last month, and it wasn’t even the whole team. Once we get to Phelps we will be living together in the dorms, and working out together a couple times of times during the day. Aside from that I look forward to just simply improving with my game. I want to improve my ball handling, my rebounding, and moving my feet defensively. I want to get stronger, keep improving as a shooter and as an all-around scorer. I will take advantage of the exposure that I’ll get while playing there. Colleges are always coming in watching workouts, and our coaches have contacts everywhere.”

Thank you for taking the time to talk with me this morning. Do you have any words of encouragement or motivation for people? Any last words?

  • “My dad always tells me to trust the process. And, that the process is not always as fast as we would like. I’m starting to understand being patient, and just working hard because when you do than good things will eventually happen.”


Justin Houser - The Phelps School ‘24


Media coverage on Justin Houser




High School Coach Information

John Harmatuk - Email


AAU Coach Information

Ken Jackson



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