With one of the Seamount’s best players and plenty of depth, first-year Lindbergh boys basketball coach Robert Graham is confident and ready to roll.
“We’re not going to lose to many basketball games,” Graham said. “The main thing is that these are good kids, that’s why I really think this team is going to go a long ways.”
It all starts with senior guard Jimmy Keum. Keum is second in the Seamount in scoring this year, at 19.0 points per game. He also finished second last year, at 20.6, and proved to be nearly unstoppable at times. He scored 49 points in the Eagles’ final playoff game last year, when Lindbergh lost to Port Angeles in double overtime one game short of state.
And it’s not just about scoring with Keum, he leads the league in steals (4.3 per game) and assists (4.4) this year. He’s also leading Lindbergh with 7.7 rebounds per game.
Beyond Keum, junior forward Colin Malone figures to play a big role. Malone is second on the team with 10.6 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. Senior forward Casey Huppe is averaging 8.1 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. Senior forward Herman Clark is chipping in 7.1 points and 5.6 rebounds.
Sophomore guard Nate Cunningham and senior center Mario Garcia will also play key roles.
Graham, who has coached at Highline and Renton, is confident in his talent, his biggest push will be getting everyone to play aggressive and hard all the time.
“We have to be a little hungrier,” he said. “I want my kids to play as hard as they can all the time.”
Graham especially wants that attitude to manifest itself on the defensive end.
“I think that bothers teams and puts them in a situation they don’t want to be in,” he said.
Lindbergh has already put itself in a favorable position this year with a 6-1 overall (3-1 league) start that has it in second place in the Seamount. The Eagles avoided a slow start like last season, when they went 0-4, and got hot late in the year.
Lindbergh takes on Kentridge Dec. 30, Bear Creek Jan. 3, then gets back to league play against Kennedy Catholic Jan. 4.
