Appreciation for old school

If you have an appreciation for old-school basketball post play you’ll love watching Ryan Nicholas work for Gonzaga Prep. The 6-foot-7 post was the object of Mt. Spokane’s attention with its packed in zone, but the tireless worker used the bodies on him to his advantage. Best play came at the start of the fourth-quarter during an 11-2 run that sealed Prep;’s 60-49 victory. He was pinned by his defender, sealed him on a hip and spun for a layin and free throw for a 39-31 lead. It was text book. “My dad and AAU coaches taught me to work hard every play and it followed me into high school,” Nicholas said.

Another key to the Bullpup victory was defense by Nick Hanson on Chaz Johnson. The 6-4 guard posed a problem with his height and slowed down the Wildcat scoring leader. “I thought (it) helped a lot,” said coach Mike Haugen. “Putting a taller kid on him made it a litle more difficult to shoot over. Nick’s got good enough feet he can stay in front. It helped us change the game a little bit.”

The GSL continues to provide the unexpected: