To say that the Lynnwood boys basketball team is rebuilding is an understatement.
The Royals, who are coming off one of their most successful seasons, return just one player from their state playoff squad.
The silver lining for second-year coach Darrell McNeal is that the returning player, senior-to-be Simi Fajemisin, is one of the top centers in the Western Conference South Division.
Still McNeal acknowledges that he and Fajemisin’s future teammates have a lot of work ahead of themselves. Lynnwood wrapped up play in the Everett Summer League in late June and recently returned from the Gonzaga team camp.
“I’m just spending a lot of time getting the kids acclimated with each other and building team unity,” McNeal said. “We’re young. We lost 11 seniors. They’re doing all right. We still have a lot of steps to take.”
McNeal acknowledges that most programs don’t experience such a turnover as the Royals, but that there’s nothing anyone can do about it now. He’s more focused on the future.
“We’ve got a good group of kids that are really starting to mesh together as a team,” McNeal said. “We don’t dwell on the fact that they’re young.”
Fajemisin has stepped up his leadership role on the team.
“He’s working on all of his game,” McNeal said. “He and the other guys are getting used to what he’s going to contribute and what they need to contribute around him. … He’s leading by playing. He’s leading by using his voice. He’s talking to the kids. They’re learning together. He realizes that he’s the only one with that experience and he’s taking the guys under his wing.”
But just because Fajemisin is the only returning player with varsity experience doesn’t mean other players aren’t willing and able to step up and be leaders.
McNeal likes the initiative he’s seeing from the other players.
“They’re all starting to take leadership roles,” he said. “They’re all starting to talk about things they need to do as a team. … They understand the sacrifices they need to make to make this team a stronger team.”
The point guard role so ably filled by Edward Evans will go to three different players — Anthony Edwards, Jordan Le and Gizaw Tamirit.
The three generals, as McNeal calls them, will all play significant roles, though Edwards likely will be the starter. Le and Tamirit might be on the court at the same time as Edwards or they could come off the bench, depending on who Lynnwood is playing.
The Royals no doubt have a strong inside presence with the 6-foot-10 Fajemisin. McNeal is waiting to see how the outside game develops. No clear standouts have emerged so far.
“We’re still getting a feel for that,” McNeal said. “It really is going to come down to how many kids work in the offseason to determine it. Being a young group, they really have to step up their game. Right now, it’s an untold story. We’ll wait and see.”
One of the main objectives at the Gonzaga camp was to develop team chemistry and to use the camp as a springboard for the upcoming season.
“It’s about them getting along and putting other things outside and focusing on the team,” McNeal said. “We focused on bonding. We focused on what each and every player can contribute. We set goals for going into next year. We want to help Lynnwood varsity continue to grow and make improvements.”
The boys basketball team was one of three teams at the school to advance to their respective state tournaments. The softball and baseball teams were the other two. Coupled with the opening of the new campus in the fall, McNeal is optimistic about sports in general at Lynnwood and specifically about boys basketball.
“I think it’s going to bring more athletes and the opportunity to continue to develop more of the program and be successful,” McNeal said.
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