Oaks Christian's Tyler McGrath earns his stripes as a 'gym rat'
OCHS head coach describes McGrath as a 'throwback kid,' the kind of player from an earlier era when athletes would practice many hours on their own
By Thomas Gase tgase@theacorn.com

WORKING HARD PAYS DIVIDENDS- - No. 2 of the Oaks Christian Lions is Tyler McGrath. The junior guard loves spending time in the gym, perfecting his moves and jumpshots. His hard work gives Tyler some leadership skills that should benefit him and his team later this season and next year.

At the same time most people are hitting the snooze button on their alarm clocks, Oaks Christian junior guard Tyler McGrath is hitting his first jump shot of the day.

Unfortunately for Lion opponents, it's not his last.

With OCHS not carrying an off season P.E. class, McGrath and a few of his Lion teammates took it upon themselves to start working on their basketball skills at 6:45 a.m., an hour before their first class. Now their hard work is paying dividends.

The Oaks Christian boys' basketball team has won six games in a row en route to a 122 record. The streak included two wins in one day by a combined score of 120 points against Coast Union High and High Desert Academy.

During the six-game stretch, McGrath scored 20 points or more three times. On the season, the junior is averaging 17.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.4 steals per game.

"Tyler is a throwback kid," Oaks Christian head coach Tom Roanhaus said. "He does what most kids don't do anymore- work on their own game outside of practice. He's part of a group of kids that open the gym before school starts to work on their game. I call them the 'Breakfast Club.'"

McGrath said he doesn't mind getting up early to work.

"I love playing basketball, and to me there's no better way to start a day than shooting some buckets with your best friends," McGrath said.

Roanhaus said McGrath's become more of a leader in his third season on the Lions varsity squad.

"What I like about McGrath is he works on his own, but he's not a guy that practices hard for personal glory," Roanhaus said. "He's working on his game because he knows that if he's a better player, the team will be better."

McGrath said he learned how to be a better leader during his freshman season, when he often worked with Matt Hornbuckle, who at the time was a senior.

"Matt (Hornbuckle) got me off to a great start at Oaks Christian, and I don't think there's anything I could ever do to repay him," McGrath said. "He not only taught me great work ethic, but also how to be a great person off the court. Anytime a big senior like him gave me advice it was golden."

One thing McGrath has been working on in practice this year is his shooting. With two years of varsity experience now behind him, McGrath knew he would be asked to shoot the ball more frequently in 2007-08.

"As a freshman, he would always defer to the older players and pass them the ball," Roanhaus said. "Last year I asked him to shoot a little more, but it seemed he still didn't have the confidence. He's always been a guy that would rather make someone else look good via a great pass that leads to a lay-up or dunk. This year it's as if he finally decided to look for his shot more often."

While McGrath leads the team in scoring, he is hardly a one-dimensional player. Last year McGrath took 30 charges on defense, and once again he is leading the team in that category. According to McGrath, the team has been winning due to its defense.

"I know it sounds cliché, but since the first practice it's always been about defense with this team," McGrath said. "Sure it's nice to be able to score, but if you're not working on your defensive skills, you're going to get a lot of splinters sitting on the bench."

McGrath said another reason for the Lions' success is their chemistry.

"Everyone gets along with each other on this team, and I think well after we're all done playing basketball here, we're going to have some great memories," McGrath said. "Since we attend a private school, we don't all live in the same area. Even though we may live far away from each other, we're always trying to get together for dinner a couple times a week at places like Carl's Jr. and talk basketball."

McGrath said he loves watching basketball with his dad, including the Los Angeles Lakers and his favorite player Ronny Turiaf.

"I love how (Turiaf) is always diving all over the court and into the stands, knocking over popcorn in order to get a loose ball," McGrath said. "He's always cheering on the bench when his teammates do well. He's definitely my favorite player, and the type of player I strive to be."

Roanhaus believes that McGrath's own hard work has rubbed off on the rest of the Lions.

"You watch the kids and how they interact with him, and you know they're listening to him," Roanhaus said. "We try to preach unselfishness at Oaks Christian, and the team is really buying into that right now. McGrath deserves a lot of the credit. He's exactly what we look for in an Oaks Christian player."