Haines High School standout Kyle Fossman, who led the Glacier Bears to two 3A state basketball championships while electrifying crowds with his never-say-die style of play, left town for Anchorage this week to start his new career as a college player.
Fossman averaged 26.8 points, 6.5 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game last year. His career stats aren’t compiled, but the six-foot guard likely holds the school’s all-time scoring record and is perhaps the best all-around player to graduate from it.
“He probably surpassed them all,” said Alan Heinrich, a retired school principal who has watched local teams as a game official for 38 years. “We’ve had good players, no doubt about it, and there were some good games, but he’s been the most consistent over his whole career.”
Fossman, 18, is now shooting for a starting role with the University of Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves, a Division II team that plays in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. He was to meet with 19 teammates this week and start working with coaches Monday.
For even casual fans, Fossman’s heroics are familiar landmarks: His buzzer-beater in the 2008 home opener against Edgecumbe that presaged the team’s march to the state championship; his dauntless ball-handling in the championship game against frustrated Heritage Christian that sent three defenders to stop him; his two steals in the final minute of the 2010 championship that stunned the Nome Nanooks.
Replicating feats like those against bigger, faster college players will be Fossman’s greatest challenge yet, and UAA coach Rusty Osborne started prepping him for it by sending a book of summer workouts – including weight-lifting and distance running – to Haines.
Fossman disliked distance running in high school but has put in miles and sprints with track coach Greg Schlachter for the past month to meet UAA’s time trial requirement: Two miles in 12 minutes. “It’s pretty hard to do when that’s not what you’ve been training for,” Fossman said last week. “It’s to show you’re in shape, but it should help for endurance.”
UAA’s weight program includes bench presses, squats, pull-ups and lap pulls Fossman’s been doing on a machine beneath the Haines Pool each morning. Between workouts and court time, he’s spending three hours a day training. “College requires a lot more during the summer. I’ve never lifted weights before. That’s a big change.”
Fossman, who plans to study mechanical engineering, also has taken apart his shot – then put it back together – a number of times. “Unnecessary movement in your shot gives you more a chance of messing up. I’ve been working on my shot for four years. There are days when you take steps backward. It’s weird. (My shot) changes a lot, which most people probably don’t realize.”
Other drills include getting his feet in place while coming off a screen in order to shoot as quickly and accurately as possible.
“The hardest part might be getting used to the quickness (of the college game). There are passes I made in high school I won’t be able to make (but) I’m sure I’m going to get a lot better in practice, too, because there are some good players on our team.”
Fossman’s not guaranteed to see playing time this season. “Coach Osborne told me that every year is a new start, so all the starters and everybody starts from zero…whoever earns the playing time will get it. So we’ll see how it goes.”
If he doesn’t make the starting team this year, Fossman can “red shirt,” or continue to practice with the team while not forfeiting any of the four years of his athletic scholarship.
But he’s expecting to play, and he’s gotten some advice from Mark McNamara, a former NBA player residing in Haines who has helped coach the Haines team: Be aggressive. “He told me, ‘Don’t be a role-player, be assertive when I’m up there.”
In high school, Fossman often dished off to teammates. Former principal Heinrich said Fossman could have scored 10 to 15 more points per game if he hadn’t been so generous.
Fossman, who started practicing hoops as a tyke on a Nerf court in his family’s living room, said he’s excited. “If I’m good enough, it’ll be fun to be in a situation where I’m almost getting paid to play. Other players will be in the same situation, so there should be a commitment from the entire team.”
Fossman’s commitment extends to academics. He was class valedictorian in May. High school science teacher Mark Fontenot said Fossman’s ability to focus should carry him well on and off the college court.
“When other people were screwing around, he was studying. When other people were screwing around, he was practicing and working out. He was disciplined and he didn’t waste time,” Fontenot said.
Fossman said he’s thankful for all the support he’s received from the community. “I’m looking forward to representing Haines in Anchoarge.” Fans can follow UAA basketball on the Internet at www.goseawolves.com.
Correy Ericksen contributed to this story.