Weston Basl; A Chip On His Shoulder

Photo courtesy of Weston Basl

It’s just a regular Monday afternoon, and basketball class at LBCC just ended. About eight other students stay in the gym after the class has ended. An hour later, and the gym is empty. Another hour past … still, no one in the gym. No one, except for Weston Basl, as he constantly stays practicing, while nobody is there.

Weston Basl, aka “West,” is a 18-year-old freshman LBCC student who is from Culver, Oregon. He is currently still undecided on what he wants to major in. West decided to go to LBCC because he wanted to experience the college life, and he is trying to play for the LBCC men’s basketball team next year. “I’m just practicing every day trying to get better. I haven't talked to the head coach at all, but I have talked to the assistant coach, coach Zimmermann. I actually had a training session with him in the summer, it was just him and I in the gym. Unfortunately I missed the tryout days, and didn’t make the team. I am upset with myself that I missed the tryout days. I would feel much better if I would’ve came to the tryouts, and didn’t make the team, rather than not knowing at all if I would have made the team, or not. I am practicing and doing as much as I can to make the team next year, and I will for sure be there at the tryout days.”

Dasaan Huey, a fellow LBCC student says, “"Weston’s a real cool dude, I recently met him this year while I was hooping. Dude got nice handles and could probably break a lot of people in sandals. "

West graduated from Culver High School, located in Culver Oregon. He says LBCC is quite similar in ways to his high school.

“LBCC isn’t that much different from my high school, it doesn’t have as many student as I would’ve thought it does. It still has more students than my high school, because I went to a small school, but the atmosphere and the people, it’s really not too different.”

West has always been around sports. He played basketball, football, and baseball all four years in high school, but basketball was by far his favorite sport. “I loved my high school, I loved my friends, and coaches there, but if I could go back, I probably would’ve transferred to a bigger high school. My high school never got any looks from colleges. This one AAU team I wanted to play for didn’t even let me join their team, because I went to a small 2A high school. “I joined this AAU team called High Mountain Hoops, and we actually played the team that didn’t want me. I took that game very personal, and I scored 30 points on them. The next day, the coach that said he didn’t want me on the team called me and asked me if I still want to play for them. I laughed at him, said no, and hung up the phone. I wanted to play for an AAU team that travels to big tournaments, and where I can get exposure to college coaches. That AAU team that didn't want me at the time, then after playing them wanted me, they travel to big tournaments. The AAU team I played for didn't travel to big tournaments.”

If West isn’t at home, then most likely he is in the LBCC gym. “What I do for fun is just shoot around in the gym. If I'm tired, or not feeling too well that day, then I’ll just shoot a bunch of threes, and free throws. I’m always in the gym, just trying to get better, but other than being in the gym, I’ll spend time with my girlfriend, and other friends.” He also says he likes to listen to music for fun. “I like Travis Scott, he’s pretty nice, Drake that's my guy, and sometimes J Cole.”

Like many college students, you may have things that you have to adjust to when you’re living on your own. West says the biggest thing he had to adjust to was food. “Honestly, the biggest thing I had to adjust to living on my own is managing my money on food. Living at home I could go eat fast food maybe once or twice a week, now living on my own I realize how much food costs. Going to the grocery store, I have to get food that's going to last me for weeks, and I can’t always get the Skittles, or the ice cream I wanted. “I still go to the store and get things I shouldn’t, I'm not going to lie though. I also didn’t realize how much I ate until I started living on my own. ” He added, “I’m going to try to eat better so I can get in better shape for basketball. I don’t always eat the best food, but I’m going to try and change that.”



At a glance:

Weston Basl

Undecided major

Instagram: westonbal3