Graduate with honors

Lake City High basketball standout Ty Stoddard thought he knew all he needed to know about the game.

That is until he met Jim Thacker.

Thacker, who took over as head coach at Lake City last year, didn’t exactly revolutionize the game for Stoddard. But he gave Stoddard a greater appreciation for the basics.

It was rough at first. Stoddard started at point guard as a sophomore in coach Kris Knowles’ final season. But when Thacker, with more than 30 years of head coaching experience, arrived last year, it was like starting over for Stoddard in terms of fundamentals.

“He’s meant a ton to me,” Stoddard said. “There was a lot of stuff I didn’t have a clue about. I feel like I’m so much more fundamentally sound.”

In Thacker’s system, point guard is the most important position. So whoever is running the point comes under a more critical eye.

“Sometimes he rubs you the wrong way and the things he says to you (have) a little oomph to it,” Stoddard said. “But at the end of the day you know he’s right. He’s got more than 30 years of knowledge. I respect everything he says because he’s telling us things so we can get better.”

Thacker knew he didn’t win Stoddard over immediately.

“Let’s face it, I’m pretty hard on my point guards a lot of the time,” Thacker said. “But I rely on them to run the game for me. They hear it from me. There were times I knew he didn’t like me. It was tough on him. But he was the guy that I needed to buy in. It took him a while to buy in I think.”

Stoddard was the leading scorer, at 10.2 points per game, on a team that started four seniors last season. He was the lone returner this year with significant playing experience.

Thacker knew he had to get more scoring out of Stoddard this year. So he moved him out of the point. Although at times he brings the ball up against pressure, Stoddard mostly plays wing. In actuality, the versatile 5-foot-11 Stoddard has played all five positions depending on foul trouble.

Stoddard picked up his production greatly. He’s averaging 15.8 points per game along with five rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.2 steals.

Perhaps the most impressive statistic, though, is minutes played. It’s rare that Stoddard comes off the floor. He averages 30 minutes and 32 seconds out of a 32-minute game. He’s played all 32 minutes five times.

“We need him on the floor. He’s pretty much our guy,” Thacker said. “When I take him off the floor, I lose his scoring and leadership. And I don’t think he likes to come out.

“He’s changed so much since last year. He’s matured quite a bit. He’s developed into a leader. He’s our go-to guy and he’s helped bring other players along.”

Coeur d’Alene coach Kent Leiss has a lot of respect for Stoddard.

“In the beginning, when he was a sophomore, I wasn’t real impressed, but he kept beating people all the time and making big shots,” Leiss said. “He hit two game-winning shots against us last year. When you look at him he doesn’t look overly athletic, but he makes big plays. If it turned out that Ty Stoddard was the MVP of the league, I wouldn’t complain at all.”

Knowles sensed something special about Stoddard as a sophomore.

“He had guts. He was fearless,” Knowles said. “He didn’t care if he was playing against seniors. He did a heckuva job all year. The thing about Ty is he’s calm, cool and collected. And he’s a gamer.”

Coming into the season, few would have given LC much of a chance to challenge defending Inland Empire League champ Lewiston or preseason favorite CdA. But LC has more than held its own against them despite fielding a team consisting of players largely new to varsity.

LC fell 55-54 in the first league game against CdA, but the Timberwolves bounced back and proved it wasn’t a fluke by knocking off the Vikings 59-54 in overtime in the Fight for the Fish game. LC topped Lewiston 58-52 at home.

The T-Wolves get a third crack at CdA tonight in the final league game between the teams. League-leading CdA is 7-1 and LC and Lewiston are 1 1/2 games behind at 6-3.

“I knew Coeur d’Alene and Lewiston would be good, but I thought we’d be pretty close to the top of the league,” Stoddard said. “Our style of play allows us to be in any game. I just thought we’d find a way to win some games people thought we shouldn’t have won.”

Thacker summed up Stoddard’s value to the team succinctly.

“We wouldn’t be as successful as we are without him,” Thacker said. “That’s why he plays 32 minutes.”