Motivation is not an issue for Auburn Mountainview senior Ryan Lacey.
He just thinks about his brother.
Through the first 10 seasons of the basketball program’s history, JJ Lacey ranks among the Lions’ career leaders in scoring and rebounding. Now, the 6-foot-3 guard aims to surpass his brother in both statistical categories.
“I’ve learned a lot from him,” Lacey said. “I owe a lot of the player I am to the type of person he is. He’s taught me and he’s always pushed me. He’s set the bar for me to beat all of his records and accomplishments.”
Second-year Auburn Mountainview coach Thomas Ostrander thinks the younger Lacey could do even better.
“I think he’s got some natural motivation there just with the family rivalry,” Ostrander said. “I think his brother would be the first one to cheer him on (because) he wants him to break his record. He’s going to do it for sure.”
Lacey is a three-sport athlete for the Lions. A standout wide receiver, he also plans to compete in baseball or track during the spring. But he considers basketball his primary sport.
Lacey’s father, Jeff, coached him and several other Auburn Mountainview players beginning in fourth grade. Lacey also got to practice against his brother, who graduated in 2013 and now plays basketball at George Fox University in Oregon.
If that were not enough for Lacey and his teammates, they only need to look at one date: Nov. 13. That is when Lacey and four teammates saw Auburn Mountainview’s football season end with a 42-7 setback at Eastside Catholic.
Lacey dreamed of helping the football team reach the Gridiron Classic at the Tacoma Dome. Now, he aims to get the basketball team into that venue in March.
“I think we have the pieces,” said Lacey, whose team finished with a 19-5 record in 2014-15. “It’s just a matter of if we execute it.”
That might not be an unrealistic proposition given that Auburn Mountainview captured the South Puget Sound League 3A title with a 13-1 record last season. It was the first league championship in program history.
In addition to Lacey, the Lions return four other senior starters: guards Elijah Johnson, Ki’Jan Weisinger, and Robbie Wilson, and center Tristan Miguel.
“We’ve got a good core group coming back,” Ostrander said. “We’re excited for it. We’re ready.”
Regardless of where the Lions finish, the big stage is unlikely to faze Lacey. That is because he and Wilson were members of the Auburn team that advanced to the 2010 Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa.
“I got to play seven nationally televised games,” said Lacey, who also visited Gettsyburg, of Civil War lore, with his family during the trip. “I played in two state football games. I’ve played in big games, and I think all of that has shaped me as an athlete and person to excel in moments like we’ll see this year.
“That was the most nerve-wracking thing I’ve ever had to deal with. Playing in front of 200 people in a small gym isn’t much.”
Especially when the surroundings are familiar. Lacey, who has an offer to play next season at Western Oregon, expects Auburn Mountainview to benefit from the “continuity” that comes from returning all but two players who graduated.
But if the Lions are going to achieve their goals, Lacey knows they will need more than that. While Lacey credits his father for helping him develop strong decision-making skills on the court, he has had to work on driving to the basket.
“Ryan’s a complete player,” Ostrander said. “He’s an outstanding shooter and can rebound. We’ve worked a lot on him getting to the rim more and the free-throw line. Those are just easy ways to score points.”
Ostrander also praised the leadership qualities of Lacey, who maintains a 3.5 grade-point average while taking three Advanced Placement courses. He said that sets an example for others to follow and enables Lacey to maximize his talent.
And become the first boys basketball player at Auburn Mountainview to score 1,000 career points. Lacey enters the season with 629 points.
“One thing that I really like about Ryan is he works extremely hard,” Ostrander said. “Everything that he’s gotten up to this point has definitely been earned.”
