PLEASANT HILL – Is there a reason why Gavin Inglish’s scoring average is down this season?
Of course, there is. After averaging around 22 points per game in his sophomore and junior seasons, Pleasant Hill’s 6-foot-3 senior guard is averaging a shade under 20 points per game – and loving every minute of it.
“We have a lot of weapons. I think a big emphasis has been made on moving the ball around and getting everybody a touch,” Inglish said after Friday night’s 64-45 victory over Sisters. “My main focus is 100% set on the team. I’ve had years in the past where I’ve scored a little bit more and I’ve taken more shots and whatnot, but we’ve never won a game at the state tournament and it’s never resulted in the greatest outcome for us.”
Just as Inglish characterized it, Friday’s game allowed everyone else to get an early touch. Landen Melvin scored the game’s first basket on his way to 20 points. Jacob Neely followed with a 3-pointer. Riley Smith then made it 8-3 with an old-fashioned three-point play and added a putback after that. It wasn’t until the 2:02 mark of the first quarter when Inglish finally got on the board. He had 15 points at halftime, when the Billies led 38-19, and finished with 25.
Pleasant Hill improved to 18-3 and 4-0 in Mountain Valley Conference play. Sisters fell to 10-7 and 3-1.

BOB WILLIAMS / THE CHRONICLE PHOTO
“It was an off-shooting night for them, but they weren’t sneaking up on us, being undefeated in league, that’s for sure,” Pleasant Hill coach Luke Jackson said. “We had an advantage in size and physicality, and we played everybody tonight. Being able to give our sophomores experience through a game without any letup is a big deal, so I’m proud of the team effort.”
Nobody personifies that team mentality more than Inglish, Jackson said.
“Gavin Inglish is one of the best players in the state. He’s a team basketball player. He plays defense, he plays offense, he executes. And he does whatever it takes to win. He knows he can be Player of the Year in the state, but he wants to win a state title, and that’s what college coaches are looking for. He’s a team guy, he’s grown up a ton … I’ve talked to a lot of college coaches about him. He can shoot the basketball as well as anybody in the country, probably,” the former University of Oregon star and NBA player said. “I’m just thrilled about the way he plays at both ends. He’s a dog, he shows up every single night. You can lock in on him but he’ll say, ‘OK, We’ve got other guys who can score, and I’ll get the ball to them, and I’ll get mine in the rhythm of the game.’
“There have been games where he could score 50, but he got other guys involved because he’s learned that you can’t win a state title by yourself – I’m so proud of the way Gavin has played, and Landen is right there with him, and so is Riley, and you have emotional and physical leaders out there as well like Jacob Neely, who does all the little things and gets big steals and big charges, and Kaden Fisher, who’s an unsung hero who plays physical and other guys come off the bench and hit big 3s for us and there’s not much drop-off.”

BOB WILLIAMS / THE CHRONICLE
Inglish scored 56 points last year in a 78-61 win over St. Mary’s in the Cascade Christian Christmas Classic.
“I try to not so much live in the spotlight,” said Inglish, who has a 38-inch vertical leap. “I think I can do a better job if I get everybody involved. I feel like not one person ever wins a game, so I like to spread the ball around.”
With just less than two months of his senior season remaining, Inglish said he’s savoring the time he gets to spend with Jackson, the other coaches, and his teammates.
“There’s not much more I can ask for, having a guy like Luke come in here,” Inglish said of his first-year head coach. “Playing for a guy like Luke, as well as our other coaches, we have a great set of role models – whether they be basketball lessons, life lessons, everything. Having Luke here at the helm, I’m trying to soak in as much as I can.”
Inglish said a “handful” of colleges have expressed interest in him – “mostly NAIAs, a couple of DIIIs, a couple of DIIs, and a couple of JUCOs.”
Most are in the Northwest, but he said staying nearby is not a high priority.
“I’m focused on the best opportunity for me that feels like home,” Inglish said. “And I just want to keep playing ball.”