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LCHS hoops: The helper and the shooter

by Mark Nelke Sports Editor
| March 5, 2014 4:46 AM

Let's rewind this story a couple of seasons.

Lake City High has had its share of outstanding point guards over its two-decade history.

But not often has the keys to the Timberwolves offense been handed to a sophomore. Lake City coach Jim Winger knew that Justin Pratt was a capable point guard by then, but he found himself bringing the ball up the court against seniors — upperclassmen who like to feast on underclassmen.

"That was baptism by fire," Winger recalled. "He got beat up by bigger, stronger kids from Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene. He got thrown into the fire and learned the hard way. They really hassled the ball, and he had to mature in a hurry."

"I was not strong at all my sophomore year," Pratt recalled. "They were just pushing me around."

So that summer, Pratt sought out a personal trainer, Bud Rasmussen, got stronger, quicker ... and made the all-5A Inland Empire League team last year as a junior.

And this year?

"I think everything's paid off, especially down the stretch," Winger said.

MEANWHILE, BEHIND the 3-point line, usually in the corner, stood a self-made shooter named JJ Winger, who began as a toddler, shooting a Nerf ball in the back yard.

Only problem was, by his and his dad's estimation, as a sophomore, JJ was some 20-30 pounds heavier than he wanted to be.

All he could do was shoot, JJ recalled.

Which in itself is not necessarily a bad thing. But the summer after his sophomore year, he dropped the extra pounds, and the past two seasons, JJ has emerged as a long-distance thorn in opponents' sides.

"If you ask other coaches in the league, you can’t leave him open," said Winger, JJ's dad and coach. "When you've got Kyle (Guice, an all-league forward last year) and you got Justin, it makes for a little bit of a stretch on your defense. Sooner or later he’s going to get after you if you leave him open. And if you’re going to pay a lot of attention to him, we’ve got a lot of other people who are going to cause you problems. As long as that 3-point line is out there, you have to pay attention."

"I've always loved shooting," JJ said. "People like 3-pointers. I think teams key on me ... and it opens up everything else. I don't care if I have 5 or 20 (points)."

Along with Guice, Pratt and Winger — all seniors — played key roles as Lake City won a second straight league title, a second straight Region 1 title, and head to the state 5A tournament at the Idaho Center in Nampa for the second straight year, beginning Thursday.

The 5-foot-9 Pratt is averaging 8.7 points, 4.9 assists and 1.5 steals for Lake City (17-5), which plays Skyline (19-6) of Idaho Falls in the first round of state Thursday at 12:15 p.m. PST. Pratt’s assist-to-turnover ratio is roughly 2 1/2 to 1.

The 6-3 Winger is shooting 40 percent (54 of 135) from 3-point range this season, and 84.8 percent (28 of 33) from the free-throw line. His 62 3-pointers as a junior are one shy of the school season record of 63, held by Gabe Hern.

Earlier this season, Winger sank a school-record 10 3s in one game, at Hanford of Richland, Wash.

PRATT DESCRIBES himself as a pass-first point guard. Six or seven times in a row in last week's regional championship victory over Coeur d'Alene, Lake City ran the same play — a high pick-and-roll with Guice, and the other three players spread out behind the 3-point line.

"You've got to pick your poison," JJ said of the defense. "If you don't help, he (Pratt) is laying it up. If you help, he'll pass to me, or he'll kick it back to Kyle."

Or, it opens up lanes for the other two starters, both seniors, in guard Chuckie Adams and wing Jake Vetsch.

And, if someone does help off their man to stop Pratt in the lane, well, he's got a few impromtu post moves there to score with.

"He's one of our better rebounders," JJ said.

Winger maintains the point guard is the most important position on the team — especially since the 3-point line was added in 1984. Teams went from sitting in a 2-3 zone, daring people to shoot from the outside, to getting out and harrassing the ballhandler, often times full court.

Winger said Pratt fits in on that list of talented Lake City point guards from years past.

"And truthfully, he’s probably gotten more of the wrath from me than anybody, because of the expectations, the importance of the point guard," Winger said. "I’m more focused on it, and he’s handled it pretty well. And this year I’ve, for the most part, laid off of him ... I think his last month of play is fantastic."

"My sophomore year, he was really hard on me," Pratt recalled. "He would just get on me. At first, I was upset, I didn't know how to handle it. But now it's fine; I get it. I feel like he toughened me up my sophomore year."

Though some schools in the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges are interested, Pratt said he's leaning toward attending the University of Idaho, and studying to be either a lawyer or an engineer.

"Some teams don’t have the luxury of a guy that bring the ball up, or a pass first-guy," JJ said. "Some point guards are looking for their shot, and he’s looking for other guys."

JJ WINGER has been shooting 3-pointers since he was strong enough to.

His dad recalled when he and current Lake City assistant Kelly Reed were coaching JJ's parks and rec team in third grade, and in those days you weren't able to guard outside of the 3-point line.

"J was just out there, 'boom, boom, boom,' and they changed the rule that when the guy made three or four (3-pointers) he had to come out. It was called the 'JJ Winger Rule.' I remember he came out and he was crying — 'I won’t shoot anymore.'"

Jim Winger is in his second stint as Lake City coach — his first run began in 1994, when he started the program, and continued through 2003. He returned as head coach in 2008.

He said his son shoots, on the average, from 18-20 hours a week. When JJ was growing up, and dad was coaching the Timberwolves, JJ could be found at practice, shooting on the court upstairs, or at a side basket downstairs in the gym.

As long as either can remember, JJ has been on the bench for Lake City games, and in the locker room before the games. This year, JJ missed a game at Pasco because of an illness. After his pregame speech, Jim Winger confided to Reed how "weird" it was that his son was not in the locker room before the game. He couldn't remember the last time that had happened.

JJ remembers being sitting on the bench the last time Lake City played in a state title game — in 2002, vs. Madison at the Idaho Center. He recalls looking up to Matt Dlouhy, the star of that team.

"I’d give him my ball and he’d dunk it for me, and I thought it was the coolest thing ever," JJ recalled. "He’d always lift me up so I could dunk ... it was cool."

And while it might seem from the outside that JJ has the green light to shoot whenever he wants, Jim Winger says he wants the 3s to come within the framework of the offense.

"I'm fine with him shooting every time," Pratt says.

Jim Winger says he's never pushed his son to shoot, or lift weights — it was totally up to JJ.

And both father and son say they don't bring the game — or practice — home with them.

It’s just been pleasant," Jim Winger says of the relationship. "We don’t live or die (basketball). It’s been awesome and really cool to spend that much time with your kid, but I tell you what, I think we’ve almost had a better father/son experience, and more fun, bird hunting. ... It’s been a great experience. It will definitely be strange coaching and hunting with him gone."

JJ has attracted some recruiting interest in basketball from Community Colleges of Spokane, and from Walla Walla Community College. He says he wants to go to a two-year school, but he's not sure if he wants to play basketball or baseball in college.

Wenatchee Valley and Big Bend are among those interested in him in baseball, where he is a pitcher.

And — wouldn't you know it — JJ says he wants to be a teacher and a coach when his playing days are over.

As much as Jim Winger will miss coaching his son, he was just as emotional pondering life once his son goes off to college.

"He’s been my hunting buddy," Jim said. "He’s been in the back of the hunting truck since he’s been able to walk. He’s been to South Dakota, Oregon, Washington, Montana ... he’s a good buddy. It’ll be weird when he’s gone."