Bainbridge's Gray rises to the next level

Sixteen months ago, before his first game with Bainbridge, Steven Gray sat in a locker room at Cleveland High School and worried.

After two seasons at Class 2A Chimacum, Gray was about to kick off his junior season in the Class 3A Metro League, widely regarded as the best boys basketball league in the state.

Gray was coming off a sophomore year in which he lit up the Nisqually League for 27.3 points per game, but this was the Metro League. A road game at Cleveland was a long way from Chimacum, both literally and figuratively.

"In the locker room, I was shaking, wondering how I'd come out and play," Gray recalls. "I was a little worried because it would be something new and different."

Gray responded with a 30-point debut, and more significantly, two seasons that showed he could excel in any league.

Midway through the Cleveland game, Bainbridge coach Scott Orness turned to his father, assistant coach Bruce Orness, and smiled.

Steven Gray



Height: 6 feet 4

Year: Senior

High school: Bainbridge

College: Gonzaga signee

By the numbers: Averaged 19.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 2.1 steals.

Betcha didn't know: Gray plays the saxophone.

Favorite athlete: Heat guard Dwyane Wade

Last iPod download: A couple of Prince albums

Worst basketball moment: In his first summer-league game with Bainbridge, Gray came off the bench and had the ball stolen at half court. "The guy went down and dunked it. It wasn't a very good start."

What's your ring tone: Miami, by Will Smith

Guilty pleasure: Watching the Disney Channel.

"He's going to be fine," Scott Orness said.

Gray, a 6-foot-4 guard, who ranks third on the state's career scoring list with 2,415 points, finished his high-school career by leading the Spartans to the Class 3A state title game as a senior. The Gonzaga signee, who averaged 19.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.1 steals, is The Seattle Times' State High School Male Player of the Year.

Gray averaged 24 points as a junior at Bainbridge. This season, he transitioned into a more selfless player, finding 6-9 teammate Coby Gibler with precision passes and doing whatever it took to win. The result was Bainbridge's first trip to a state-championship game since 1955.

"Offensively he has so many tools," Orness said. "He could have scored 30 every night if he wanted to, but he gave up that part of his game. He gave up himself to make our team as good as possible. He trusted his teammates. That was a big part of our success."

Some nights, Gray would have relatively quiet games and Gibler would be the star.

"Basically he did whatever the team needed to win," said Gibler, who averaged 14.6 points. "He can do everything.

"He takes the pressure off everyone else. He's good at finding teammates and getting us easy buckets. It's great having player who can see the floor like he does."

Gray was also one of the Spartans' leaders, despite his quiet demeanor.

"His biggest leadership quality is by example," Orness said. "I can't think of one thing he missed, whether it was the weight room or open gym.

"This team played without the fear of failure, and Steven led the way in that area."

The Spartans quest for a state title fell one game short when they lost to O'Dea in the title game. Still, Gray has overwhelmingly positive memories of his senior season.

"The last game didn't turn out how we wanted, but there were so many other points in the season that were successful and fun," he said. "Those will definitely outweigh those one or two disappointing times. I enjoyed this year. It was the best year of basketball I've had."