Versatile Hilander to join LCC hoops squad
Saturday, August 30, 2008 10:45 AM PDT
By Rick McCorkle
Printable version
E-mail this articleGarrett DeGraaff is the kind of basketball player Lower Columbia College coach Jim Roffler enjoys coaching.
“He’s Mr. Steady and a versatile player who fits really well into our team concept,” Roffler said. “He makes few mistakes, and defenses don’t want to leave him open because he can drain the 15- to 17-foot jumper consistently.”
DeGraaff, a 6-foot-4 wing from Kelso who earned all-Greater St. Helens 3A League honors, has signed on to play for the Red Devils beginning this fall. As a senior, DeGraaff made 51 percent of his shots while helping the Hilanders to a runner-up finish in the Greater St. Helens 3A League, and he blossomed in the Lower Columbia Area All-Star Game where he had 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
“I talked with Coach (Joe) Kinch at Kelso, and he told me he went to Lower Columbia and enjoyed playing for Coach Roffler,” DeGraaff said. “I’ve worked out in a lot of open gyms with the other guys coming in, and it’s made me a better player because they’re a lot bigger and faster than the guys I faced in high school.”
DeGraaff joins a youthful LCC squad that includes returning players Alex King, Marice Tolliver and Ryan Freeman, along with newcomers Jyles Petersen, Jeray Key and Matt Trautman of Mark Morris, Castle Rock’s Clint Burgoyne, Tanner Bradley of R.A. Long and Clatskanie’s Conrad Ritchie.
DeGraaff said he thinks he will fit right in with the rest of the squad and is prepared to work hard, play good defense and consistently hit the open jump shot.
“I like to do the little stuff that makes teams successful, and I’m working on extending my range beyond the 3-point line,” he said.
Roffler is impressed with DeGraaff’s coachability.
“He’s worked all summer on his outside shooting and is getting stronger,” he said. “Garrett is the ultimate team guy who’s fundamentally sound and a nice addition to our roster. Coach Kinch did a good job preparing him for college basketball.”
DeGraaff’s classroom talents are equally impressive. Prior to graduation, he was awarded the Longview/Kelso Earlybird Lions’ Hugh Ingram Memorial Scholarship, a Washington State School Retirees Association scholarship, and a Merit Scholarship from the Kelso Rotary Club.
“I want to get my degree and then transfer somewhere,” he said. “I’m leaning toward a career in teaching and coaching. As for playing at the next level, I’d like to — but we’ll see how it goes.”
Past Month's Most Commented Stories