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Did you know: freshman Roy Yuan excels on varsity basketball team
Provided by Luke Lang
Roy Yuan (9) dribbles the basketball as he runs towards the basket and a guard from Monta Vista runs with him, trying to hold back Roy’s shot. The Eagles scored more assists but fewer rebounds and steals, and they lost 50-56 to their opponents.
January 14, 2016
The only freshman on the varsity boys basketball team, Roy Yuan (9) is the team’s top scorer in points per game as well as total points scored, field goals, three-pointers and free throw percentage.
As a shooting guard, Roy provides the team with the ability to pass effectively, drive the ball towards the basket and make plays to score as many points as possible.
In the 11 games that he has played in so far, Roy has scored 177 points total from 62 field goals, 42 of which were three-pointers. Roy is also ranked third in the team for steals per game, with an average of 1.4, and fourth for free throws made, with 11 total out of 17 attempts.
Last September, Roy was also selected to play in the California North/South Basketball Tournament, which recognizes strong Asian players from throughout the state. Outside of school, he also participates in the Amateur Athletic Union, an organization that arranges tournaments and games throughout the nation.
Butch Keller, head boys basketball coach, discussed what he thinks Roy’s strongest and weakest areas as a player are.
“Roy’s playing like a freshman. But he listens, and his teammates believe in him, and they know he’s trying to get better,” Keller said. “Roy’s a scorer. That’s what he does. As he grows older and stronger, he’s going to be a better offensive and defensive player, but right now, his defense has got to get better. But I can’t fault him for it, because he’s working hard, and as long as he works hard, he’ll continue to start [in games].”
Senior Elijah Edgehill, a co-captain of the team, agreed with Keller.
“He has a solid offensive game and needs to work a bit on the defense, but we’ll manage that,” he said. “He’s a great player. He’s going to have a good four years ahead of him.”
Evan Lohn (12), another co-captain, also spoke about Roy’s performance in games so far.
“Roy’s a really good shooter; he’s probably the best shooter we have,” Evan said. “I think that’s because he puts a lot of work into his game. He’s always working hard in practice and working on his shots. He’s going to get bigger [and] he’s going to get stronger, so he has a bright future.”
The varsity boys basketball team currently has a 9-5 record overall and a 1-3 record in the West Bay Athletic League, with its most recent game being a 64-53 win against Eastside College Preparatory at a home league game yesterday. The team next plays at home in a league game against Woodside Priory School at the Blackford campus on Jan. 19.
