March 11, 2005

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Palo Alto Online

Trying to keep it going

by Keith Peters

Brad Lehman received a phone call last week the night before the Palo Alto High boys' basketball team was to play Mitty for the Central Coast Section Division II title.

The call was from teammate Jeremy Lin, who barely hours earlier had suffered what would be a season-ending injury during a pickup game.

"He called me . . . around 10 o'clock," Lehman related. "It was like 'You might have to play the whole game.'"

Lehman was caught off guard. After all, Lin was Paly's starting point guard and the driving force behind the Vikings' remarkable run of success.

"I was just surprised," Lehman recalled. "I started to think about all the things I was going to have to do, and fatigue was a factor. I'm used to playing eight minutes a game and now I'd be playing 25 - closer to a whole game."

Lehman, a 6-foot-3 junior, did not panic that night when he first heard the news. He accepted his new role, one he has filled admirably. Despite Lin's absence, the Vikings went on to beat Mitty for the CCS title and then defeat Golden Valley, 62-44, on Tuesday night in an opening-round game in the Northern California Tournament.

Lehman was on the floor again last night when the top-seeded Vikings (30-1) played host to No. 4 Chico (24-5) in a NorCal Division II semifinal. At stake was a berth in Saturday's NorCal championship game at Sacramento's ARCO Arena at 4 p.m.

For Lehman, as for his teammates, it has been an adjustment since Lin fractured his right fibula.

"My role had been so passive, basically," Lehman said Wednesday. "I've been told to distribute the ball. Now, I have to take on a little more of a role in terms of scoring, as well as getting the other guys the ball. I was just used to coming in and giving Jeremy a breather. Now, I'm the one who gets a breather."

Lehman had plenty of time to catch his breath in Paly's 45-42 win over Mitty in the CCS finale. He played 20 minutes, missed all five of his shots, scored no points and turned the ball over four times. He couldn't find the words to describe that performance.

On Tuesday, however, Lehman showed marked improvement. He played more minutes, scored eight points, grabbed five rebounds, had two steals, dished nine assists and suffered only three turnovers.

"Jjust getting used to the role is just a total change," he said. "Our chemistry is different without Jeremy. I'm a different style of point guard. The other guys had to get used to how I play."

Lehman said two practices after the CCS finals did help, even though he sat out the first with a twisted ankle suffered against Mitty.

"We got our chemistry going,"he said. "Obviously, we felt good last night (against Golden Valley). I felt better. It felt like the game just came to me. Everything was timed right. We were at home; that was a big help. The crowd was behind us and I took a little more aggressive role on offense. It made everything easier. The other team didn't think I was just a passive player."

Lehman said he spent much of his time in the Mitty game getting the ball to 6-6 senior Brian Baskauskas and "letting him make the decisions." Baskauskas scored 24 points in that win.

Against Golden Valley, "I wasn't as pressured, so I could get other guys going, as well as show them we have another threat at point."

Paly coach Peter Diepenbrock has helped make Lehman's adjustment easier by encouraging his junior to shoot more.

"We know Brad's a good player," Diepenbrock said. "He has played behind Jeremy this year, but we know he can play. It was a tough spot to put him in the Mitty game, but he's very talented - MVP of the frosh-soph league as a sophomore. We know he can do it."

Lehman proved that against Golden Valley, playing the entire second half when the visitors were pressing fullcourt. Lehman helped break the press and get the ball upcourt when the game was on the line.

In the first half, Lehman hit a big three-pointer when the Vikings hit three consecutive treys to take a 22-10 lead. After Golden Valley got to within 24-16, Lehman found Baskauskas and Steven Brown open for three-pointers to close the half at 33-16.

Lehman also hit three free throws down the stretch after Golden Valley had gotten to within 49-39. Paly ran off 10 unanswered points, with Lehman sinking two free throws to make it 59-39. After that, it was all over but the cheering.

"When the game was hanging in the balance . . . we just played our way out of it," Diepenbrock said. "I like being able to let them play and make their own decisions."

Now, Lehman is a part of that group.

"He (Diepenbrock) has more confidence in me scoring," Lehman said. "I have a lot more freedom, so I'm not holding myself back anymore."

Lehman's contributions are critical to Palo Alto at this point in the season. The Vikings were favored, at least on paper, to beat Chico last night and advance to Saturday's NorCal finals against either No. 2 San Ramon Valley or No. 3 Oak Ridge.

Playing at home certainly is a help. Going into last night's game, Palo Alto had won 20 straight at home. The Vikings' last loss in their gym was in the 2003 NorCal tournament, a 54-41 first-round setback to Sacramento.

"It's great to be at home," Baskauskas said Tuesday night after scoring 16 points. Brown led the way with 17. "We'll just get more confident. We haven't lost at home since the NorCals two years ago, so we definitely have an advantage here."

Diepenbrock agreed.

"We have a lot of confidence here," he said. "When you get a crowd like that, that's a really extreme homecourt advantage . . . Winning a NorCal game, that's a special experience."

It will be an even better experience if the Vikings reach the NorCal finals and beyond.

"Our goals are still the same," Baskauskas said. "We're still going for a state championship."

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