SEQUIM — There are more questions than answers at this point for a Sequim boys basketball squad replacing eight seniors from last year’s squad and down another returner until at least mid-January.
But that’s fine for the Wolves, which will rely on a by-committee approach to production.
“For the last few years, we’ve kind of had one guy do the majority of the scoring,” Sequim coach Greg Glasser said, referring to his son Payton Glasser in 2017 and current Peninsula College freshman guard Nate Despain, last season. “This year, we should be a little more balanced.”
Junior guard Erik Christiansen and senior post Hayden Eaton will be counted for the Wolves.
“Erik is a three-year varsity letterman,” Glasser said. “I give him a bad time and tell him to use large shorts. He’s a wiry, strong kid and has a lot of different ways that he can score. He’s not just a 3-point shooter, he can attack and he has a mid-range game.
“He’s so good, his percentage there, he’s going to have the green light from mid-range anytime. They added the 3-point line my senior year of high school in 1988 and with his touch, he would have been great in ’86 and ’87.”
The Wolves’ Erik Christiansen (42) will be counted on to take up the scoring slack by the graduation of Nate Despain, who now plays at Peninsula College. (Michael Dashiell/Olympic Peninsula News Group)
Eaton made some big plays on the gridiron for Sequim this fall, and Glasser is hoping for more of the same this winter.
“Hayden Eaton — he’s one of the most athletic big men in our league,” Glasser said. “He can shoot it, he can run and jump. We are looking forward to him making the leap in hoops.”
Junior guard Dallin Despain returns to run the show for the Wolves.
“A great floor leader in Dallin Despain,” Glasser said. “A great defender who is fearless. He’ll guard anybody. And he attacks the basket really well and has been working on developing a jump shot, consistently knocking down the 3-point shot.”
Junior guard Michael Young is sidelined potentially the whole year with a knee injury suffered during football season.
“If we do get him back it’s probably not until the middle of January,” Glasser said. “He’s been going to physical therapy for his knee but has still been showing up for practices and cheering on the guys. It’s cool to see that he wants to be part of the program. He’s spent a lot of time with these kids and is taking his role to a different level.”
Senior Stew Duncan also has stepped up as a leader as the Wolves try and push the pace and get the ball moving up and down the floor.
“We have some quickness with our guards and some height that can play at a quick pace,” Glasser said.
Other additions include junior guard Marcus Allen, who Glasser described like some sort of whirling dervish.
“He’s a special player, a lot of skill, a lot of it is instinctive,” Glasser said. “My goal is to turn it loose and not give him too many restrictions on what he can do. He shares the ball well, is a great rebounding guard and a good defender.”
Glasser believes his charges are capable of making a postseason run.
“The goal is to play more basketball,” Glasser said. “To play more than 20 games and I think our kids are capable of getting one of those spots if they embrace their roles and how to play together.
“I think we have kids who don’t care who gets the credit. That’s the kind of the culture we try to develop and we are preaching that all the time they are here. They hear it from the youth coaches too, so it’s not something we have to re-teach, we reinforce and applaud the effort of those kids who are doing the dirty work.”
Glasser said North Kitsap is likely the top target for other Olympic League squads to chase this season.
“NK has a lot of guys back, a ton of talent, and have a great coach in Scott Orness,” Glasser said. “It’s so much tougher now because all these coaches are so much better in this league. You run up against athletes and basketball players but you continually run into great basketball coaches.
“Kasey [Ulin at Port Angeles] will have his guys ready to play,” Glasser said. “They have a deep bench. They have some size. Bremerton will be good and North Mason will be solid, they have a couple of nice players back on their team.”
Glasser said his team does enjoy a comfortable opening stretch of nonleague play.
“Our first four games are nonleague opponents,” Glasser said. “We can learn a lot about our team before we begin league.”
Head coach: Greg Glasser, 13th season.
Last season: 7-5, 12-10. Third in Olympic League, 0-2 in district tournament.
Returners: Erik Christiansen (jr., G, 6-1); Hayden Eaton (Jr., P, 6-4); Dallin Despain (jr., G, 5-9)
Newcomers: Stew Duncan (Sr., G, 6-2); Marcus Allen (Jr., G, 5-8); Isaiah Moore (Fr., P, 6-3); Zach Ballantyne (Sr., G, 6-0).
Outlook: A Greg Glasser-coached team is always a dangerous squad capable of getting more out of a roster than you may have thought at first glance. Expect the Wolves to be in the fight for a district playoff berth — and if they get there, they’ll make for a difficult matchup for most teams.
