Jake Kyman’s emergence adds to one of Eastern Washington’s ‘deepest teams’

During the most recent offseason, when David Riley discussed how Eastern Washington would replace the production of its since-departed Top 3 scorers, he pointed to the importance of incremental growth.

He spoke specifically about this year’s juniors – Casey Jones, Dane Erikstrup, Ethan Price and Cedric Coward – a core that would need to add a couple points to its scoring average. Through nine games, that’s basically been the case, as the quartet’s collective scoring has increased by 11 points per game.

But the production of those four has been augmented by scoring from two players who added nothing to Eastern’s stat sheet last year – Jake Kyman and LeJuan Watts – and Eastern’s depth has been strengthened thanks to other newcomers who have made important contributions.

“We’ve got nine guys that can come in and contribute at a high level,” Riley said after Eastern’s 103-34 victory over Portland Bible College last week. “This is one of our deepest teams.”

Eastern will play two more nonconference road games this week – Monday at Cal Poly, then Thursday at Washington – before opening Big Sky play on Dec. 28 at home against Portland State. The Eagles’ record stands at 3-6 having played a schedule that features four Pac-12 opponents, with the Huskies adding a fifth and final to that count.

But the recent emergence of Kyman in particular seems to bode well for the Eagles.

After a slow start, the super senior Kyman scored 25 points in back-to-back games against USC and Air Force, a single-game total matched only once this year, by Coward against Portland Bible College.

And for a program that got five such scoring performances last year from Steele Venters – plus one each from Angelo Allegri and Tyreese Davis – Kyman’s demonstration of his shooting ability is a welcome sight for the Eagles program.

“Jake is Jake. A shooter. That’s what he does,” Coward said. “It’s one of those things where I don’t know if his comfort was there at the start, but it’s definitely there now.”

Eastern is Kyman’s third college program. He came most recently from Wyoming, where he played last season after spending his first three years at UCLA. Kyman showed there that he was indeed an excellent shooter, particularly during his freshman year when he set UCLA’s freshman record with seven made 3s in a game (against Washington) and finished the year 31 of 77 from 3-point range.

But his role diminished the next two seasons, and at Wyoming he played off the bench and averaged 4.5 points per game.

Both were useful stops, Kyman said, and he learned a lot at each. But he wanted to make a greater impact somewhere else, which is what led him to Eastern Washington.

“When I left last year, I wanted to come to a team that was about the right things, first,” Kyman said. “But (I also wanted to) come to a place where I could flourish and play the kind of game I know I can play and others have seen me play.”

Eastern offered him the chance to show that, and through nine games he is averaging 10.9 points per game and has made a team-high 22 3s on 50 attempts.

Rather than relying on Kyman to simply be a shooter, the Eagles have started Kyman and played him 24 minutes a game, which is nearly twice as much as he played, on average, at Wyoming.

“I think he’s just getting more comfortable within our system,” Riley said. “He’s a guy that when he plays like a complete player, which he’s embracing more now, he’s just a (great) shooter and scorer, and so he gives us another dynamic.”

One of the reasons Kyman was drawn to Eastern was that the Eagles play what he called a “high-IQ” style of basketball that is less concerned about running set plays and more concerned about playing read-first offense. It is mentally demanding, but the reward is great, Kyman said.

“Here it’s a lot of reading and reacting, playing the game and seeing it with your eyes,” he said. “A lot of places teach you to go here, and go there. And you kind of mind meld into a robot. But here it’s reading the game of basketball and playing it. I’ve always excelled in that area of just reading and playing the game, and being around other guys who can do the same thing, it’s been very helpful to our team.”

It’s also a more beautiful brand of basketball, Kyman said – even if the wins haven’t yet come in the way the Eagles would like them to.

The Eagles have also benefited from the scoring and rebounding from redshirt freshman LeJuan Watts, who is averaging 10 points and 5.6 rebounds in his first collegiate game action, and lately the contributions of true freshmen Sebastian Hartmann and Mason Williams.

Each are averaging 4.4 points per game, with Hartmann playing 13.9 minutes per game and Williams 10.4.

“They have no fear. That’s what I love about them,” Coward said. “Usually freshmen come in and think they have a diminished spot. (All the freshmen) are sponges. That’s what I love.”