The boys basketball season thus far has been an emotional roller coaster. The Seattle Times has consistently ranked the team in the top five for Washington state. Sophomore star Tony Wroten was forcibly removed from Garfield High School due to his uncertain residence situation. Garfield rolled of a memorable comeback to beat Issaquah 77 – 75 in the first game of the season. No Tony. In Indiana, the team got rocked by national powerhouse Lawrence North. No Tony. But then the Seattle School District called; the judge had granted a temporary injunction. Tony was back. Facing preseason national #1 Duncanville, he led Garfield to a dramatic 57 – 56 victory.

Things have seemed equally rough more recently. The team lost 75 – 60 to Franklin at the highly publicized MLK Day Hoopfest, a game in which Tony got in foul trouble thanks to the despicable bitchwork of the Quaker’s Vonchae Richardson. Two weeks later, Tony hit a three to send a game against Redmond into double-overtime. Garfield prevailed, 67 – 66. Not a week after that, Garfield was dismantling Redmond on their court when a (presumably intoxicated) fan ran onto the court during a dead ball and punched senior point guard De’Andre Taylor in the head, sparking a brawl and the ejection of eight Garfield players, many of whom had come off the bench to defend their teammate. It was a topic of conversation throughout Garfield and the Seattle media.

Scrutiny. It has smothered the Garfield basketball team since the hiring of head coach Ed Haskins last May, since the summer league blowouts, and since the ‘09 boys started jockin’ nearly every player on the roster from afar. But amidst all the scrutiny, one major fact seems to have slipped below the radar: Garfield is 15 – 0 in conference play. Followers have taken the wins for granted, instead focusing on those particularly stressful items.

“We don’t really feel any pressure at all,” says Taylor. “We know everyone’s shooting for us, because we’re Garfield. We’re one of the most respected teams in the state.”

The team has characteristically struggled in the first half. They were down 29 – 12 in the second quarter of the second Issaquah game. But slowly, as always, the team rebounded. They brought out the full court press, and started knocking down outside shots. By the end of the third quarter, the deficit was two points.

“A light clicks on in our heads saying we need to turn it up, this is not how we usually play,” says Taylor. “This is some other team. We need to win this game. In the second half we bring it together. Everything is flowing.”

Although the team obviously doesn’t want to win games this way, it was been happening increasingly more often. but hey, a win is a win.

“Our defense triggers our offense,” says junior forward Wilson Platt. “We stopped thinking and started playing. We got a bunch of steals.”

The comeback was led by Taylor, a recurring theme throughout the season. He hit three treys in four possessions in the third quarter of the Issaquah game.

“I think Dre had zero points in the first half,” says Platt. “He is often the spark. The whole team plays better in the second half. The sense of urgency doesn’t really kick in till then.”

Garfield took Issaquah’s lead at the beginning of the fourth quarter, and never gave it back. The game ended Garfield 68 – 62. It was microcosm of the season: lockdown D, clutch play, and a smack-talking legion of Garfield fans in the parking lot following the victory. But more than anything, it was a microcosm of the smart, savvy, and well-dressed coaching staff, led by Ed Haskins. Haskins, too, has fallen under the radar a tad, but the fact that he has the unconditional respect of his players is crystal clear. He is vocal, helpful, and unwilling to stand for Tony’s occasional complaint. During the Redmond brawl, he simultaneously put Taylor and junior Des’Juan Newton in a headlock, preventing them from further entering the fray. He is a rock, a symbol of the team’s consistency and flawless conference play.

“He does different things in practice than [old head coach] Dan [Finkley],” says Taylor. “But it’s all good stuff.”

“Our mantra is energy on defense, execution on offense,” says Platt. “It usually comes down to those things. Whenever we lose, it’s always those things. When we win, we get those things right. We watch tape after the losses, and there’s nothing more Haskins can say. We know what we did wrong.”

The outstanding feeling in the Garfield community regarding the basketball team seems to be one of anxiety and pressure. The team has been more scrutinized and discussed in high school hoops circles than any other team in the state. But in reality, the team has felt neither anxiety nor pressure, only confidence. Between Tony’s otherwordly playmaking ability (YouTube search: Garfield Roosevelt Highlights), Taylor’s leadership, the hard work and unselfish play of the entire team, and Haskins’ superb coaching, Garfield has maintained itself as one of the favorites to win state throughout the season.