Meyers Looking Ahead State Next Stop, But Sights Set On College

It takes a lot of persistence to get a “What if …” out of Jeff Meyers.

That’s understandable, since life is pretty good at the moment.

Meyers has a 3.85 grade-point average, has already picked out his college and he’s a starter on the Shadle Park basketball team headed to Seattle for the boys State AAA tournament.

But what if he and teammate Nate Dunham hadn’t transferred to Shadle Park as juniors? Both were freshman reserves on Northwest Christian’s 1994 State B championship team.

The Crusaders made a return trip last year and Meyers went to watch, but said, “I still felt like I made the right decision. I was trilled for them, but it was the best decision for me. It was time to move on.”

Meyers also watched NWC play State B champ Republic recently.

What if they had stayed?

“I like to think we (NWC) could give them (Republic) a run for their money,” he said, and he’s probably right, considering he has grown 5 inches to 6-foot-6 since he was a freshman and Dunham has been a two-year starter at point guard.

But in reality, when Meyers counts his blessings, basketball is pretty far down his list.

“I needed a change before college,” the forward said. “I needed a big-school atmosphere. There will always be a part of me that says, ‘What if …,’ but I’m totally happy. School is so fulfilling. I’ve met so many people and I have so many great teachers.”

Obviously, Meyers transferred for academic reasons and he had no complaints playing junior varsity basketball last winter even though Highlanders coach Darcy Weisner said he could have started on the varsity.

Although these Highlanders seem immune to pressure, Meyers’ presence when they play Lincoln at 1:30 p.m. in the Kingdome on Wednesday has to help.

“I learned a lot about mental preparation, about getting nervousness to work for you,” he said about his first trip to state. “We’ve got to look at it as one more tournament. Our goal is to win, but every team has the same goals. Each game is another stepping stone. There’s going to be pressure, but we need to use that pressure for us instead of against us.”

The Highlanders have handled pressure well, winning a pair of loser-out games Saturday to qualify for their first state trip since 1992.

Chris Anderson had a big day Saturday, scoring 29 points in both games. If he continues to do that, Meyers said his role is to rebound, be an inside presence on defense and not miss scoring chances.

However, he is ready to take a larger role if the Abes clamp down on Anderson. That worked in the first game of regional, when Meyers poured in 15 points in the first half to spark a romp over Davis, a team similar to Lincoln, according to scouting reports.

“I have to move without the ball,” he said. “I don’t have a lot of quickness to get by someone with the ball. It’s usually my guy that drops off on Chris. Mentally, I have to be ready to catch and shoot. I’m the unknown guy.”

He worked hard on the JV and had his shot down, but just like Weisner told him, it was tough to duplicate that against varsity competition.

“Early in the season, my tempo was off,” Meyers said. “My rhythm is coming back now, everything is clicking.”

With aching knees, Meyers is ready for his next challenge after basketball. He plans to attend Hillsdale College in southern Michigan to study business.

Yet, what if his knees feel better?

“I might try to walk on (and play) my sophomore year.”

Looking forward, that answer came a quicker than looking back.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: GSL openers Shadle Park boys vs. Lincoln, 1:30 p.m. Ferris boys vs. Sehome, 8 p.m. Gonzaga Prep girls vs. Mtn View, noon Central Valley girls vs. Marysville, 5 p.m. All games Wednesday