PORT ANGELES — Containing a set of half-brothers, some Peninsula basketball legacies, a pit bull from Port Angeles and a vast amount of versatility, the 2024-25 Peninsula College men’s basketball team has been built with balance in mind.
“I really like this group,” second-year Pirates head coach Bryce Jacobson said. “The culture is built nicely, the commitment and dedication has been awesome. You never quite know how a group of 18- , 19-year-old kids is going to handle things until they are on campus, but the work ethic and commitment of this group has been impressive. Our leaders are doing a great job.”
Peninsula’s two top returners are sophomores Antonio (Tone) Odum and Patrick Odingo.
A native of Perth, Australia, Odingo parlayed a reserve role into the starting point guard spot by the end of last season.
“He’s a crafty, skilled, highly intelligent point guard who does a great job of running the show and not making mistakes,” Jacobson said. “He’s a guy that you can trust to consistently make good things happen. A capable scorer, a floor general who distributes the ball. His focus is all about winning, all about us and not about him. We’ve developed a lot of trust in him, and he’s using his voice as a leader very well.”
Odum is the team’s elder veteran, a redshirt sophomore who put up 7.5 points and four rebounds per game last season.
“Tone is a long, lanky, versatile wing/forward,” Jacobson said. “He’s mature, a little older, almost 21. He’s a level-headed guy, composed and can defend multiple positions, rebound, cut to the rim, runs the floor … He’s really Mr. Swiss Army Knife for us.”
Impact newcomer Akeem Sulaiman (6-foot-5) comes highly touted, having won back-to-back state championships under East Anchorage (Alaska) legend Chuck Martin.
Jacobson coached under Martin at Palmer High School up in the Great White North, and that connection has three East players on the Pirates’ roster.
“We expect big things from Akeem,” Jacobson said. “He defends really well, he’s strong, he can light it up scoring wise. At a scrimmage over the weekend, he went up for a right-handed layup and made the move to switch hands to his left at the rim to avoid the block and get the bucket. He’s a great kid on top of all that and I can see a great opportunity for a career beyond Peninsula.”
Returner DeShawn Rushmeyer is an East alumnus who played reserve minutes in 27 games last season.
“He can be an impactful player and defensive monster athletically,” Jacobson said. “A guy his size that can block shots at the rim and flies around the full 94 feet. Offensively, he has developed quite a bit from last year. You can rely on him defensively. We know he’ll be able to shut guys down.”
Pair of Roughriders
Former Port Angeles Xander Maestas guided the Roughriders to a sixth-place finish at the 2022 2A state tournament.
He’s already made a fan out of Jacobson.
“Xander is our pit bull. The more that kid is in our program, the more I love him,” Jacobson said.
“[Riders head coach] Kasey [Ulin] randomly called me about him, and said, ‘He’s going to PC for school, would you mind working him out?
“And every day he makes these plays that just make you go, ‘Wow.’ At the Yakima scrimmage this weekend, he was everywhere on the court. You would have thought there were two Xanders. He’s a dog. He brings the energy, not a hoot-and-holler guy, but the team’s whole energy lifts because of his identity, energy and scrappiness. He’s really a great representative of the hard work and sacrifice that represents what the community is about here.”
Isaiah Shamp, one of Maestas’ teammates on the 2022 Riders and a 2024 Port Angeles graduate, also is on the team.
“People that know Shamp know what a high-character, good kid he is,” Jacobson said. “His mother Marsha played here back in the day, and he’s developed a lot. When he first showed up, we weren’t sure of how he would fit, but he’s growing and growing and growing. Shamp will get some run this year. He’s doing all the right things right now and I’m really pleased with his approach.”
Another Isaiah, Isaiah Lopez, is likely to fill the team’s sharpshooter role.
Lopez lived for a time in Okinawa, Japan, while growing up before returning to play at Seattle Prep.
“He’s one of the smoothest shooters I’ve ever seen, even at the four-year level,” Jacobson said. “He will start and play minutes in that shooter role. All these kids like basketball, but you know Isaiah Lopez is obsessed with basketball. His injury prevention routine, he gets extra shots up and puts the film time in to improve.”
Jaiden Blackwell is another versatile player who can match up at guard/forward for the Pirates.
And Cinco McNeal, Odum’s half-brother and the son of former Peninsula standout Alphonso McNeal, serves as the team’s energy guy.
“He’s got a great attitude and loves being at PC,” Jacobson said. “Every day he comes in and says, ‘It’s a great day to be a Pirate.’”
Peninsula College Pirates
• Head coach: Bryce Jacobson, second season (7-7, 15-15)
• 2023-24 record: 15-15 overall, 2-5 and sixth in NWAC.
• Key returners: Antonio Odum (So., 6-5, F); Patrick Odingo (So, G, 5-11); DeShawn Rushmeyer (So., 6-1, G); Albin Rosenlund (So., F, 6-3); Max Allen (RFr. G, 6-0); Sam Tekeste (RFr., 6-0, G)
• Newcomers: Trey Carter (Fr., F, 6-4); Xander Maestas (Fr., G, 5-11); Akeem Sulaiman (Fr., F, 6-5); Isaiah Lopez (Fr., G, 6-2); Isaiah Shamp (Fr., F, 6-5); Jaiden Blackmon (Fr., G, 6-4); Cinco McNeal (RFr., F, 6-4);
• Strengths: Depth. “A lot of guys who can defend,” Jacobson said.
“We want a lot of guys who are going to play gritty, and I think we have a group that’s capable of doing it.
“This is one of the most unselfish teams I’ve ever been around. Makes it easier to coach a team that shares the rock and plays for each other.”
• Areas to improve: First-year players adapting to college game.
“With so many young guys, we want to continue to build consistency and basketball IQ,” Jacobson said.
• Outlook: Skagit Valley, with Port Angeles’ Parker Nickerson on the roster, and Edmonds top Jacobson’s list of North Division foes.
________
Sports reporter/columnist Michael Carman can be contacted at sports@peninsuladailynews.com.
