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Wednesday
February 28, 1996
The University of Washington Student Newspaper
Sports
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Moving up the ladder MEN’S BASKETBALL: Undergraduate assistant Jason Tyrus suited for collegiate coaching career Russel Katz Daily Staff Jason Tyrus still has the videotape glued in his mother’s VCR. He doesn’t need to watch it anymore because that footage has been etched in his mind since Feb. 5, 1994.That was the day Tyrus torpedoed then-No. 12 Arizona in one of the biggest wins in Washington’s history. Then a senior shooter struggling in the midst of his final campaign, Tyrus hit everything he threw at the hoop to spark Washington to a 74-69 upset victory over the Wildcats in Hec Edmunson Pavilion.”Yeah, I still got that video, but that’s only because everyone else always brings it up,” said Tyrus laughingly of his career-high 20-point performance against Arizona.Just two years later, Tyrus will be on the same bench when the Arizona schools invade Hec Ed this week. However, he’ll be wearing a coat and tie instead of a uniform as he completes his inaugural season at the coaching level.Now an undergraduate assistant coach with Washington, the 23-year-old Tyrus gets the real call up the ladder at the conclusion of this season. He will join ex-Husky assistant Ritchie McKay at Portland State as a full-time assistant.”He’s got all the tools to coach at this level,” said UW Coach Bob Bender. “He can recruit, he’s got a great personality for recruiting, a good feel for the game and he understands how to teach it.”A lot of people can understand it and have knowledge, but to relate it and then to be able to teach it and get players to respond to it is different. And he’s got that.”A talented athlete during his high school days at Milpitas High in California, Tyrus was a letterman in basketball, baseball and football. After finishing the 1993-94 basketball season with the Huskies, Tyrus wanted to see if he still had his potent baseball swing.After being drafted in the 21st round by the San Diego Padres in the 1994 baseball draft, Tyrus played two years in their organization. Although Tyrus never managed to find a permanent place in professional baseball or emerge as a better-than-average college basketball player, coaching has given him new hope.Tyrus said, “As an athlete, I think you’re always looking at how you can make it to the highest level. I got as high as I could in basketball – I played in Division I. I got as high as I could in baseball, or maybe not as high, but I gave it a good effort. And then now, I’m going to be coaching at Portland State and I’m thinking the sky is the limit.”Last year, Tyrus went to Bender and asked him if he could help out with the team. The Padres came calling, though, and Tyrus left for spring training before the end of the season.This season, however, Tyrus has gone full-throttle into coaching.He is responsible for all administrative duties, including film exchange, and works with Washington’s young perimeter players. Tyrus, a sociology major planning to graduate in June, mostly helps out during practices.”Practicing and just my experience is where I contribute,” Tyrus said. “I try to help the younger guys out. I’ve been around and I know how guys play.”We run through other teams’ plays because I know Cal’s plays, I know Arizona’s plays and Arizona State’s plays.”Tyrus works especially with sophomore walk-on James Wheeler, who earned a roster spot during the annual tryout period in October. Wheeler doesn’t see much game time at all, but Tyrus has given him plenty of pointers.Wheeler said, “We play one-on-one a lot and when he works with me, he tells me he’s going to penetrate when I’m working on defending. I want to keep the ball out of the middle and make him shoot jump shots. What we try to do against point guards is we try to keep them out of the middle.”He yells at me from the sidelines and tells me to penetrate the gaps. He shows me what to do, where to look for the big guys and how to get an angle. Just little things like that.”Even in the locker room, the mistakes I made during practice we’ll go over. During our pre-game meals, we’ll sit at the table and eat and start talking about what I did well in practice and what I didn’t do well in practice.”While Wheeler never may blossom into a prolific scorer for the Huskies, Tyrus’ wisdom and experience has done wonders for the hard-working player. But Wheeler’s not the only one learning.Tyrus said, “I’m learning tons from [Bender] and the other coaches. Everyday I pick up something. He’s a great speaker and great motivator. If I could just pick that up, it would help me in anything I want to do.”Like convincing his friends to watch the Arizona film once again.
Copyright © 1996 The Daily of the University of Washington
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