Led by senior guard Andrew Dean, the Gorham boys’ basketball team has turned its season around. The Rams’ started the season 1-5, and it looked as though long-time coach Kevin Jenkins may be at home during tournament play for the first time. However, the Rams have gone 9-2 since then and are seeded a comfortable seventh in the latest Heal Point standings. Dean is averaging over 20 points per game on a team where no other scorer averages double digits.

The American Journal recently sat down with Dean to learn a little more about the leader of the Rams.

AJ: You have so much pressure on you to score this year because of your experience, how do you deal with that while playing point guard?

Dean: I know since I am the one who has the experience I need to score a lot more than last year. I don’t like to shoot as much as much as I sometimes do, but I know I have to for us to compete.

AJ: You shoot a ton of free throws. Do people like to hit you or do you get all the calls; how do you get to the line so much?

Dean: I’m not that tall so I can’t shoot over people, so I have to try and drive rather than shooting from the outside. I get inside a lot and a lot of the big guys see me being 5-foot-9 and they like to think they can block my shot every time. I can get them up in the air pretty easy.

AJ: Do you have a routine when you get to the line?

Dean: I do the same thing every time. I spin the ball, dribble, spin the ball, dribble, take a deep breath and shoot.

AJ: And you usually make it.

Dean: This year they are going in.

AJ: A lot of your teammates lacked varsity experience entering the season. Who on your team has impressed you with how they’ve stepped up their game?

Dean: At the beginning of the season it was a little rough, but lately Mike Foustoukos has stepped up rebounding and Kyle Egbert has played very good defense. Dan Hager has made a few more shots now that we’ve gotten into more of a groove in the season, Spencer Seiferth has improved rebounding. Everybody has improved since the beginning of the year and that’s why we are starting to win a few more games.

AJ: I saw you playing some golf this fall, how does your golf game compare to your basketball game?

Dean: Well, golf I was a little inconsistent this year, so basketball is up there a little higher.

AJ: Do you feel more pressure in basketball than in golf?

Dean: There is a little more pressure in basketball because it is more popular, more noticeable.

AJ: You are coached by two well-respected coaches in Jenkins (basketball) and Myers (golf and basketball). Is there a difference in their styles?

Dean: There isn’t a huge difference. They both expect a lot out of us and expect we give our best every time.

AJ: Which one are you more confident you can beat, Myers in golf or Jenkins in basketball?

Dean: I’ve played Myers in golf during the golf season and he beat me pretty easy. I have never really seen Mr. Jenkins play basketball.

AJ: What will make the difference for you and your team in the second half of the season?

Dean: We have to play our game and dictate the tempo. If we get in a fast-paced game, we just don’t shoot a high enough percentage to compete. We have to set the tempo for a slow-paced game. We have to continue what we have been doing the last week or so. We won’t win games by running. We have to keep it slow and keep a tempo we like.

Our defense has been our strength all year. We’ve been holding most teams to low point totals.

AJ: Do you guys have a certain defensive philosophy?

Dean: We try and make sure we pinpoint a player or two on each team we want to try and take out of the game. We’ve been doing a good job of that, taking that player out and not letting that guy beat us. If the other players beat us, there is nothing we can do about that.

AJ: Who is the toughest guy you’ve had t play against this year?

Dean: The toughest game I had shooting was the Deering game. Pat Plord was guarding me. He isn’t very tall either but he is quick and it’s hard to get by him. I didn’t have a field goal that game.

AJ: Being the main scorer on a team, opposing fans seem to have a bullseye on you. How do you deal with things like that?

Dean: It doesn’t affect me at all. I laugh and let the fans have their fun. They can chant all they want, but it doesn’t matter as long as we get the win.