Soelberg’s play for Scotties speaks louder than words

There are two sorts of leaders in life and in basketball.

There are those that lead with words, and others, like Freeman’s Malcolm Soelberg, who lead by example.

“Malcolm’s not a rah-rah leader,” Freeman head coach Mike Thacker said. “There are kids who come to work every day, work very hard in practice and lead by their actions, and he’s probably one of those kids.”

Soelberg is averaging 16.1 points a game as the 7-2 Scotties begin Northeast A league play, and the 6-foot-1 senior lefty has found a couple of different ways to contribute to big Freeman wins.

He scored 35 points in a 22-point win over Chewelah, but his five-point output at Lake Roosevelt may reveal more about Soelberg’s character.

Held to only two points through the first 31 minutes and 59 seconds, Soelberg made a 3-pointer as time expired to give Freeman a one-point win.

“You just have to say that you’re never out of it,” Soelberg said of that night. “You can still put in the last one, even though you haven’t made anything all night.”

In Soelberg’s third year on varsity, he has become more of an all-around player to complement his scoring ability.

“Mostly, I’ve improved my defense,” Soelberg said. “I’ve always been able to score, so I worked on rebounding and stuff.”

Soelberg spent a lot of time in the weight room, as well.

“It’s just so I don’t get pushed around as much and can be more physical,” Soelberg said.

This Freeman squad doesn’t need Soelberg to score 35 every night, though. With seven seniors, the majority of whom played on the previous two state-tournament teams, Thacker has one of his most talented and experienced teams.

“It helps a lot,” Soelberg said of the team’s experience. “I’ve been playing with them since I was a little kid, and I always play well with them.”

The Scotties, who finished sixth in 2004 and seventh in 2003, have made it clear that the goal this year is much bigger than in years past.

Freeman has been to six straight State 1A tournaments, but hasn’t finished any higher than fourth, in 2000.

“I’ve always wanted to play in the state championship, ever since I’ve been on varsity,” Soelberg said. “The last two years there haven’t been very good for me, and now I can try to get that back.”