A year ago, Springbank High School Phoenix varsity boy’s basketball player Steen Lindquist was a tall, skilled Grade 11 making some plays.
This year, he was a colossus.
If his play at the March 14 Alberta Schools’ Athletic Association (ASAA) South Central Zone 3A varsity boy’s basketball tournament is any indication, he has a future in collegiate hoops if he chooses.
Sure, he’ll need to fill out that 6-foot-6, 190-pound frame. But adding 20 pounds shouldn’t be a problem for a growing 17-year-old.
What is certain is his competitive growth from Grade 11 to his senior year. Gone are the indecision and uncertainty under the basket. In the March 14 Zone semifinal against Cochrane Cobras, Lindquist was fighting down low against Cochrane’s big man Justin Sambu, a player almost as tall and at least 25 pounds heavier.
“He’s come a long way, from a thin, shy quiet guy a year ago,” says Phoenix varsity boy’s head coach Danny Eveleigh of Lindquist. “Now he is the leader of the team. We’re going to miss him for sure. He had a fantastic year.”
When he wasn’t challenging Sambu in the paint, Lindquist was battling for offensive and defensive boards against Cochrane’s tallboys, Jake McLellan (6-foot-5) and Brennen Willis (6-foot-8). For good measure, he was fending off Cobras buzzsaw Evan Perrault, a smaller forward playing like he’s 10-feet tall.
Lindquist’s transition from diffident to fierce is as clear as the kid is lean.
Guiding Lindquist through this transition is what keeps coaches like Eveleigh coming back.
“That’s why we coach. That’s why I’m doing it every year,” Eveleigh enthuses. “I get to see that happen to a player, get better like that. The growth is fantastic.”
For his part, the soft-spoken tower clad in Phoenix black and green takes it all in stride. He’s coming along.
“I’ve been considering some schools like UBC (Vancouver) or U of C (Calgary),” he says. While researching his post-secondary education options, no Canadian universities have enquired about Lindquist’s basketball acumen. Yet.
“It’s been a good year,” Lindquist says. “Playing club ball (Calgary) helped me a lot through spring and fall.”
Despite Cobras keying on him, Lindquist drained 14 points and pulled down 10 boards in the South Central Zone semi, won 69-50 by eventual bronze-winner Cochrane.
“They (Cobras) have a really good team. They have a lot of height. You have to box out early and hold your ground.”
And it’s all about that hold-your-ground attitude Lindquist has added to his game.
He’s had the skill. He’s had the height (you can’t coach that). He’s now filled-in his compete level, completing the package, as evidenced by his team-MVP-worthy senior year on the high school hardwood.
“It’s tough, but I’m kind of getting adjusted to it because I’ve been playing year-round,” he surmises.
Time will tell if he continues playing year round starting in the fall.
