Posted on 11/21/2003 7:01:06 PM PST by ex-Texan
Young Love: Lake Oswego freshman's talent leaves many in a state of disbelief
LAKE OSWEGO -- He is 6-foot-8 and 240 pounds, and he's going to get bigger. He can pass and shoot and rebound and block shots, and there are those who think he will be the best big man in Oregon high school basketball this winter.
The mind-boggling part of the equation: He just turned 15 in September.
Let the college recruiting wars begin.
Lake Oswego freshman Kevin Love -hasn't stepped onto a court yet for his first varsity game -- that will happen Dec. 2 at home against Canby -- but already the legend is spreading.
The son of former University of Oregon great Stan Love -- and the nephew of Mike Love of the Beach Boys -- has caught the notice of college coaches throughout the country. In a shoebox in his bedroom, he has a stack of letters from nearly 30 universities, including Duke, Michigan and most of the Pacific-10 Conference schools.
He visited with new UCLA coach Ben Howlands over the summer and attended the Oregon-Michigan football game as a guest of Oregon basketball coach Ernie Kent.
Young Love has size 18 feet and a wingspan of 83 inches; the doctor projects him to grow to 7 feet. His favorite player is Shaquille O'Neal, "because he is like Superman on the basketball court," but Stan envisions Kevin playing more like Tim Duncan or Dirk Nowitzki.
College is a long way off, but Duke -- "that's been like my dream school forever," Kevin says -- would seem to have a head start on the others.
In August, Kevin led his United Salad team to a runner-up finish in the 172-team National 14-and-under AAU Tournament in Orlando, Fla.
"No question, Kevin was the best player there," United Salad coach Ernie Spada says. "We rode him to the max. He was unstoppable. He put up big game after big game. He was a man among boys.
"Kevin will be the best player in the (Three Rivers) league this season, and one of the three or four best in the state, and I'm not exaggerating. Softest hands I have ever seen for a kid his size. He's going to be one of the best players ever to come out of this state."
Praise comes from all over
Spada is hardly a lone voice in the wilderness. Lake Oswego coach Mark Shoff understands that he is working with a prodigy.
"I don't know if there's going to be much competition for him this season -- not only at Lake Oswego, but anywhere," Shoff says. "You hesitate to offer all these unbelievable accolades about a freshman, but you can see he is a special type of a player. There's no real weakness to his game."
The best player Shoff has had in his nine years' coaching at Lake Oswego is University of Arizona guard Salim Stoudamire. Love -isn't in his league yet, but ... "Salim has proved he is one of the better guards in the nation at Arizona, but they give the big money to the centers," Shoff says. "The thing about Kevin, he can do so much more. He can dominate the game not only in scoring but also with his shot-blocking and rebounding ability."
Steve Johnson, a volunteer assistant coach with the Lake Oswego varsity, was an All-America center at Oregon State and a 10-year NBA veteran and ex- Trail Blazer. He has enjoyed teaching the post game -- yes, that includes Johnson's signature hook shot -- to Love.
"There are so few true post players who don't mind going down low and doing the dirty work," Johnson says. "Kevin does that for us, though he doesn't have to. He has an inside/outside game and three-point range. The best thing about him is his rebounding and outlet passing. I've never seen anybody at any level who can outlet pass like Kevin can. He is supercompetitive, too. He's just good."
Shoff has asked Johnson's father-in-law, former Blazer director of player personnel Stu Inman, to watch Love at practice and pass on his observations. Inman has a hard time believing what he has seen.
"I hate to lean on superlatives," Inman says, "and I am not a scholar on the history of high school basketball in Oregon, but I question whether there has been a better freshman post man than Kevin Love.
"The thing that jumps out at you is his physical presence, but also his sense of how to play the game, which is extraordinary. The game is easy for him. He's an incredible passer. He's a plodder in a general sense, yet nobody beats him downcourt. He kicks the ball out on the fast break as well as anybody I have seen in high school, whether a freshman or a senior.
"His temperament is good. He's driven. You're not sure what you don't like about him, and that worries me sometimes. We're all human, we all have shortcomings, and you have to keep reminding yourself that he is only 15."
Healthy, hungry and humble
In a lot of ways, Love is your typical teenage boy. His bedroom is a mess. He got a 3.2 grade-point average for his first quarter at Lake Oswego -- not bad, but not genius material. He likes Eminem and Denzel Washington, and he has a girlfriend.
Love stands out on a basketball court, but he's also one of the guys. Often, the teammate guarding him during practice is his older brother, Colin, a 6-3 junior. Colin has every reason to be jealous of the attention his younger sibling receives -- but doesn't seem to be. "Doesn't bother me at all," Colin says. "It's family. He's my brother, and I'm going to support him. I don't see him having a big ego at all, even though he knows how good he is."
(Excerpt) Read more at portlandtribune.com ...
let's hope he's treated that way- love, support, and discipline.
I wouldn't let him, if I was his daddy. If he's that good, NBA will still be there after he graduates. He's FIFTEEN YEARS OLD- doesn't have any business hanging out with the NBA.
That's nothing. Eons ago, my high school boyfriend was the first string All-State center, and he was only 6'3".
Yes, those were the days.
Drool, drool
Living in the middle of the 'basketball' triangle, I root for all three, NC State, UNC, Duke when they play outside the ACC.
But head to head, I'm a Dukie. Why?
Academics, and coach K.
Keep your grades up Dude. And ace the SAT.
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