Patience and persistence personifies 6-foot-2 Skyline College sophomore guard Darrin Lum and because of added weight and thus strength, plus further skill development, the sharpshooter is now headed to Willamette University in Oregon.
Why the choice of the Bearcats? "I liked the situation. Coach (Michael) Lenahan turned the program around right away and they had good season (finishing 14-10). They recruited me heavily and I watched film to see how they play. Willamette also has the best business school in Oregon" (business administration will be Lum's major). He owns a 3.2 grade point average with a couple of appearances on the Dean's List for academic excellence.
In a somewhat unusual move Lum and Lenahan first met when the head coach attended a late December Skyline College practice. "I played well," Lum recalled and "I ended up talking with him for some time." Lenahan and Skyline Coach Justin Piergrossi are coaching friends and the former attended practice in order to observe the various talents on the Trojan team with an eye to adding talent to his own squad.
Why so much interest by Lenahan in Lum's services considering this was the first time each saw the other? In one sentence: with his quick release and remarkable accuracy, the sophomore led the California community college ranks this season in made three-pointers with 90 while also shooting 46% on his trey attempts. Yes, those extraordinarily accurate and efficient numbers are correct. Just for comparison sake, Steph Curry shot 41% on his trey attempts this season for the Warriors.
What does Lum believe are his best basketball skills?
"Shooting, for sure. I've put a lot of work into it, starting in fifth grade when I started out making 200 shots a day." As the current coach of the Bulldawgs Basketball Club, an AAU program consisting of 4th to 9th graders, he sees an added benefit to his mentoring. "Teaching the players how to shoot helps me get better." Continuing with his skills set, Lum said, "making adjustments is a skill. I also move off the ball well and am good at reading the game." Always looking to better his skills, he finished with, "hopefully I can add defense to this list."
Lum's best basketball moment came against Diablo Valley College. "It's hard to pick for sure but it's when I tied the school record for threes. What made it so special is knowing what it took to get to that point."
The Adventure Begins
His basketball journey through high school and now as he finishes up at Skyline has produced multiple highs and lows, featuring periodic peace as well as inner turmoil. But always gratefulness despite setbacks. "In my junior year of high school (Lincoln High), we were scheduled to play for the NorCal Final of the Divison 4 CIF State Tournament, and unfortunately the whole tournament was cancelled because of Covid-19 outbreak."
"The next year (my senior year), our school district cancelled our basketball season. I was devastated. But I kept working out everyday, staying ready for the time I would play basketball once again."
That Opportunity Arrived
"Luckily, I was given the chance to join the team at Skyline the next year. My redshirt year at Skyline (2021-2022) was rough. It was difficult for me to stay patient, I hadn’t played a real basketball game since March 2020 and I was eager for just the chance to step on the floor, and I had to wait another year. During this time, I learned how to be patient and disciplined, while also physically getting stronger as well."
"The next year (my freshman year) was a huge challenge. I could barely crack the rotation at the start of the season. I would give my all in every practice but I would have nothing to show for it. I recall being so frustrated, having thoughts of quitting the team, but being in this dark place allowed me to shift my mindset. Instead of moping and complaining, I would tell myself to embrace the privilege of being able to play basketball everyday, and I saw every practice as an opportunity to do what I love."
Turning the Corner
"At this time, our team was about to kick into full gear, and I remember having a conversation with Coach P and I asked him what I could do better in practice to earn his trust so I could hopefully get a chance to play more. He told me that defense should be my main focus, and just being more physical. Once he told me that, I worked even harder on defense everyday, and eventually he began to trust me. I then finally cracked the rotation against San Francisco City College in our third league game where I performed well, and from then on I’ve played in every game since. I even went 6-7 on threes with 22 points in our state playoff game against Contra Costa College in our last game of my freshman year."
"Returning to what I said earlier though, I believe my mindset shift is the reason why I did so well my next year (sophomore year). I practiced gratitude everyday, and I believe that allowed me to perform well on the court. I was never worried about achievements or awards going into games. I just wanted to go out and live in the moment, enjoying playing basketball and trusting the work I put in. Ultimately, I want to my journey to be an example of never giving up and always staying ready, while also appreciating every moment throughout the process."
Summer Plans & Beyond
This summer, Lum plans to "definitely get stronger, watch more film than usual to get better on defense, work on my handle and just polish my game."
His goals for next season are "to stay as efficient and contribute to winning, help win conference, provide more defensive effort, be more vocal as a leader—just control the controllables."
Lum offered thanks "to my parents and family for all the sacrifices they made getting me to games and tournaments, to my Dad and my Uncle Brian who pushed me to work hard and to Coach P for taking me under his wing, being patient and trusting me."
Having spent three years at Skyline College, Lum came in at 142 pounds. Now at 162, he gave credit to the Skyline basketball weightlifting program for being a tremendous plus throughout his time as a Trojan. "It definitely helped me this season."
"Darrin made an amazing transformation during his time at Skyline," Coach Piergrossi explained. "He arrived as a great shooter, but he leaves as a very good college basketball player. His dedication to improving every aspect of his game was visible each and every day. He stayed committed to the process and matured a lot along the way. He has a great understanding of the game, and has figured out how to excel against very challenging defenses. Everything he accomplished was within our system of play. His sophomore season was special, and beautiful to watch. Credit goes out to him and his teammates for the efficiency they displayed this year. Darrin is in position to have another breakout season."
Lum wants to remain enmeshed in basketball even long after his playing days subside. Wherever he ends up living, count on that territory to be turning out loads of good shooters because of his tutelage.
No comments:
Post a Comment