Jason Greene and Luke Keppel graduated nearly 20 years apart from the Whitehall basketball program.

Yet, the two have a unique bond that has brought satisfaction among other qualities to both of them.

Greene is a 2005 Zephyr grad who scored 1,378 points and led his team to consecutive Lehigh Valley Conference and District 11 titles. He went on to the University of Baltimore-Maryland where he scored 1,178 points and became the school’s all-time assist leader (683) and a member of their Hall of Fame.

Keppel, who will graduate in the spring, scored 1,013 career points and will continue his career at DeSales University. He helped the Zephyrs to a 17-10 overall record this past winter and the team’s first state playoff win since 2005, as they advanced to the second round.

Greene, who knows his father and current assistant coach Tom well, began working with Keppel in the fifth grade. The elder Zephyr standout was an assistant coach at UMBC and also was director of basketball operations at Rider before he returned home to work in the family business.

“Luke comes from a classy, blue-collar Whitehall family,” remarked Greene. “I can’t say enough good things about them.

“Luke has earned everything he has gotten. What I found out is that he is a better kid than basketball players. His best days are definitely ahead of him.”

“I know many years ago when Luke was young his dad had him working out with Jay,” said current head coach Jeff Jones. “It showed Luke’s dedication at an early age. More importantly than any of the drills may have been hearing Jay relay his work ethic to Luke. Your skills only take you so far. Learning to compete, and no one competed more than Jay, is what elevates your game.”

When he first met him, Greene recalled Keppel as a “kid that was a little pudgy and quiet.” But it didn’t take Keppel to prove that he would be dedicated to his cause. In fact, Greene sees a lot of his own values in his protegee.

“He is a humble kid,” stressed Greene. “But he wanted to be the best he could be. He worked on his strength and his shot. Basketball became his passion. I knew that he had the potential to be a 1,000-point scorer. We both understood what passion was about and what it meant to a player.

“He was the type of player that every coach would want.”

Keppel knew it would there would be a lasting bond there.

“At first, I was nervous because I was the youngest kid he was working with because everyone else was a high school kid,” remembered Keppel. “From the start, Jason and I got along really well, and we agreed to keep working together. What made out relationship great was how much time he spent getting to know me. We spent time before every workout to talk about school, my friends, and family. He made it easy for me as a young kid to learn from him.”

Keppel is grateful for a three-year-plus window with Greene that elevated his game.

“We worked together almost every week until he started a family and didn’t have as much time to spent with me,” stressed Keppel. “He made sure that I got the work I needed to help me get better as I approached my high school years.

“He taught me so much about the game, not only with skills but also with the mental game. He always taught me to stay positive, never stop believing in myself, making sure I am a great teammate, and the importance of being a leader.”

Greene also helped instill the significance of Zephyr pride.

“He also strengthened the pride that comes with being a Whitehall basketball player,” added Keppel. “He made me realize I was playing for something bigger than myself. I was playing for the tradition of those teams and players that came before me. I’d like to think that our team played a small part in helping restore the tradition of winning at Whitehall.”

Greene foresees Keppel making a smooth transition at DeSales.

“He knows he had to work on things,” said Greene. “He always has bounced a lot of things off me on and off the court. I think this is an excellent fit for him at DeSales. He will be a blessing to coach because he has great court sense.”

Keppel envisions that Greene will always be by his side in some fashion.

“He remains invested in my success,” emphasized Keppel about Greene. “He was there to offer advice when I went through the college recruiting process during the exciting and difficult times of my high school career.

“I am fortunate enough to have Jason alongside me every day.”