(Teddy Koch ’25, Jackson Croom ’25) – Earlier this year 4-star Wisconsin commit Daniel Freitag announced that he would be attending Breck School for his senior year. Previously he attended Bloomington Jefferson High school, where he was a star on both the basketball court and the gridiron. As Daniel settles into his new surroundings, we were able to gain an insight into his life and aspirations. We posed several questions to him that have piqued the curiosity of the Breck community, shedding light on his personality, interests, and what he envisions for his senior year at Breck. Here’s a closer look at Daniel Freitag, the rising star who is poised to make a significant impact both on and off the court.

Q: What’s a fun fact about you?

A: I was actually born with 11 fingers.

Q: What’s your favorite Breck lunch?

A: Without a doubt, it has to be the cheese tortellini.

Q: How are you adjusting to life at Breck?

A: It’s been a gradual process, but I’m settling in, slowly but surely.

Q: What are you looking forward to most this year?

A: Well, I’m really excited about witnessing Teddy’s first in-game dunk.

Q: Do you have a favorite class this year?

A: Absolutely, my favorite class has to be “Sports in America.”

Q: What’s your favorite thing about Breck so far?

A: My favorite thing about Breck so far has been getting to know the basketball team.

Q: Could you share your favorite quote with us?

A: “You miss 100% of the shots you let your teammates take.” That quote has always resonated with me, and it’s something I live by.

Luqmaan Peer ’26, continued the conversation with Daniel in a separate interview. 

Q: What made you want to come to Breck this year (what was your passion or motivation) and what’s so great about this beautiful school?

A: I knew what it was when I was coming in, you know? It’s a very prestigious school, so I thought I’d explore my options and I landed at Breck. Though the campus was beautiful, the students were really nice. 

Q: What are your plans for college? Are there any schools interested in you? Are you interested in any schools? I know you’ve been committed to UW.

A: I am indeed committed to the University of Wisconsin for Basketball. I have been committed there to play basketball.

Q: We talked about shoe deals and all that good stuff, so what type of NIL (Name Image Likeness) deals do you have?

A: That I currently have? That’s gotta stay below the table.

Q: So we’ve been in school for a few months now. How is the beginning of the school year going for you?

A: It’s going great. I’m meeting nice people like yourself, and introducing myself to a lot of teachers.

Q: We talked a lot about stats, passing rates, and accuracy towards the ball and driving it towards the hoop. What are some things you need to work on in basketball?

 A: I’ll shoot the ball from mid range. My three point percentage could go up. Finishing with my left hand may need some work, and my free throw percentage could be better. But, I say I have a solid mid range.

Q: We haven’t talked about the NBA draft yet. There are a lot of top quality youngsters who are currently playing college basketball and have a lot of potential and stamina and strength to be drafted in the NBA. Do you see yourself as a first round pick or a second round pick?

 A: Definitely first. I think if you shoot for the first round and you don’t get it, you can shoot for the second round. So I would say first round. 

Q Peer: So which team are you most looking forward to being drafted? There are a lot of great teams. Maybe the Golden State Warriors, but they have Curry and Klay Thompson.

 A: They do have them. They do have them, but I’m interested in all of them.

Q: Fitness now. So how are the bench press and squats going during fitness?

 A: I haven’t squatted in a minute so I don’t know my numbers. I think I’m benching about 235 on a good day.

Q: I forgot to say that you’re a musical artist as well and you make songs and albums. So what type of songs do you make on your playlist and what are the genres of the songs? Is it hip hop, rap, classical, etc. and how do you like to produce those songs?

 A: I can’t actually lie, I’m not a musical artist. Google has the description wrong. So it’s not true. I don’t make music.

Q: One more question for you, Daniel. Do you feel like you have the same agility, body workout, and accuracy as Lebron James?

 A: I think I do, Luqmaan. I think I do.

Luqmann: Well, people are already saying that you’re the number two recruit in Minnesota compared to Lebron James. 

 Daniel: Love to hear that.