GNAC Sports

Highline CC Trio Have Vikings Off to Fast Start

By Brynn Regan, WWU Sports Information Office


Anderson	Bruce	Webb

At the core of this season's nationally ranked Western Washington men's basketball team are three seniors who have been reunited on the court after starting their careers together at Highline Community College.

Guard Morris Anderson and forwards Zach Bruce and Derrick Webb make up a trio that has brought something more than just individual talent to the Vikings. They are a rare trifecta which bring a history of success and have become the heart of the team.

All averaging double-figures, they are co-captains and the top three scorers for Western, which is off to a 15-2 start and ranks No.19 in the latest National Association of Basketball Coaches/NCAA Division II Top 25 Poll.

Webb is averaging a team-best 15.4 points per game and 5.9 rebounds. Anderson averages 12.9 points and paces the squad in assists (4.4) and steals (2.5), and Bruce is scoring at a 10.5 clip and averaging a team-best 6.7 rebounds.

“I think they have a lot of pride in what they accomplished at Highline, and rightfully so, and they have brought that with them,” said head coach Brad Jackson , who is in his 25th year at Western. “Often times with community college players it takes some time for them to have ownership in your program, but in the case of these guys it was immediate.”

How the threesome all ended up playing together for the Vikings proved to be quite a journey. It began at Highline CC where they twice led the Thunderbirds to the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges Tournament, one resulting in a title.

Webb and Anderson were recruited by Highline CC coach Che' Dawson . Bruce fell into the Thunderbirds' lap after he was seen playing alone in their gymnasium.

The three freshmen played a significant role in Highline finishing 21-9 and winning the NWAACC title in 2006, defeating two-time defending champion Lower Columbia CC. Webb was named the tournament MVP.

“All of them were very unselfish players and they were very committed to what the team needed to do,” Dawson said. “But they also had a knack for stepping up in big moments. Some kids naturally step up when there is a lot on the line and all three of those kids had that.”

The following year Highline reached the NWAACC quarterfinals, losing to eventual champion Clackamas CC in double overtime, 85-84.

Webb and Bruce signed with Western for the 2007-08 season. But Anderson had to clear another hurdle to join his teammates.

Although Anderson received lower-level Division I attention, he was determined to finish his Associate of Arts degree in order to play for Western the following season. “He sat out a year of playing, but his commitment level was such that he wanted to be [at Western], and understood that was a positive for him,” Jackson said. “I think that showed a lot of maturity.”

Anderson practiced with Highline during that season, while Bruce and Webb helped Western to a 15-12 record.

Anderson joined the Vikings for the 2008-09 campaign, but while he played, both Webb and Bruce sat out with injuries. Webb fractured his wrist during the preseason and Bruce was recovering from planter fasciitis in his foot.

Webb felt the year off helped him. “It made me tougher, and I realized that there were a lot more things that I wouldn't have learned had I gotten to play,” Webb said. “I think I am a better player for it.”

And Bruce concurred. “I was able to work on a lot of weaknesses of my game,” said Bruce. “The most important thing is that I got hungry again to play.”

Meanwhile Anderson averaged 12.6 points per game and 6.1 rebounds, being named Great Northwest Athletic Conference Newcomer of the Year. He played a big role in the Vikings posting a 21-6 record, winning the school's first outright GNAC title and reaching the first round of the NCAA II National Tournament.

Now, with Bruce and Webb back on the court, the trio is playing like they never were apart. “I tell people that I hardly ever really communicate with those guys because we just know how each other plays,” said Bruce.

With everything clicking, they have set the standard high for Western this season.

“Mo, Zach and I have won a championship together, so we really just want to win another one, a national championship would be great and that is our goal right now,” Webb said. “We have to take it step by step, win the league, and bring some experience to the team.”