Will Shaw is the third-leading scorer for Yoncalla, which is off to a 3-0 start and has won the MaxPreps Oregon Team of the Week, presented by the Oregon National Guard.
Courtesy photo
It's all about the hunger.
The
Yoncalla boys basketball team had four straight losing seasons before last year's 17-10 campaign. They started 3-0 in 2014-15, winning by lopsided margins of 92-42, 80-15 and 67-35.
"Last year we started slow but gained momentum as the season wore on," Yoncalla coach Bid Van Loon said. "We advanced to the second round of the state playoffs where we lost to a much better Powder Valley squad. That loss left us wanting more. So entering this season we are very hungry."
Zack Van Loon, Yoncalla
Courtesy photo
It starts with 6-foot-2 junior
Zack Van Loon, the state's leading scorer entering the week at 22.5 points per game. He's followed closely by
Joe Keller (16.5), a 6-3 wing, and 6-2 junior
Will Shaw (15.0).
Keller also leads the team in rebounding at 7.5 per game and Van Loon adds 7.0. Van Loon also leads the team with 8.0 assists and 5.5 steals per game.
None of it is by coincidence, said his father and coach.
"Zack has spent a large portion of his life in the gym," said coach Van Loon. "That includes many trips to the gym for shooting and ball-handling practice. Last summer, aside from the summer basketball games that our team played, he participated in an AAU season.
"Most of the credit for his success belongs to his teammates. We have a great group of guys who work hard together for a common goal, and that is team success. And because so many of our players are good, the other team can't focus on any one guy."
Especially Keller, whom his coach calls "an incredible athlete."
"He's got a good work ethic, and he wants to win. He is definitely a leader of these guys. They look up to him and they respect him. His skill set is very unique for a guy his size. He is 6-3 with good ball-handling skills, a good 3-point shot, a good post up game and the ability to drive to the rim."
With leaders and athletes like Keller and Van Loon, the Eagles have most of the pieces needed to go far. Their coach really enjoys the team's work ethic.
Joe Keller, Yoncalla
Courtesy photo
They've received other key contributions from senior
Wyatt Van Loon (8.5 ppg), freshman
Ted Wickman (3.5 steals per game) and sophomore
Michael Stevens (5.5 points, 6.5 rebounds per game).
"The strengths of this team are depth and love of the game," he said. "With these guys, practice isn't something they have to do, it's something they get to do."
And what do they have to practice most?
"There are times when we don't rebound as well as we should," he said. "And like almost all teams our half-court defense needs improvement."
But there's lots of time to shore those things up. And with this group, sky's the limit.
"Our team's goal is to make it to the postseason and win our last game," coach Van Loon said. "In order to accomplish that we've got weeks and weeks and months and months of hard work ahead of us.
"This early in the season you never know what else is out there in the state as far as talent goes, so our goals may be realistic and they may not be. But one thing I know for sure is that these boys will either accomplish their goals or they will die trying."
Managing editor Colin Ward-Henninger contributed to this report.
