Prospect Spotlight: Drew Larsen (2021 Barlow)

<p>On opening night of the season, very few believed that Barlow could beat Central Catholic. But games aren’t played on paper but on the basketball court, and the Bruins got the job done in a big 65-54 win over the visiting Rams. Senior [player_tooltip player_id="855957" first="Drew" last="Larsen"] played a huge role in that, notching a double-double of 30 points and 10 rebounds in the victory and he’s savoring every minute of it.</p> <p>"It feels great to get a great first win of the season against a tough opponent in Central Catholic," Larsen said. "We put on a good show and did what we were supposed to do. We defended, we rebounded, and we made our shots."</p> <p>Larsen certainly made his share of shots, hitting 9-for-16 from the field including 4-for-7 from beyond the three-point line. He was especially on target in the second half and this was with Central Catholic star wing [player_tooltip player_id="855925" first="Darius" last="Gakwasi"] matched up with him most of the time. The tough 6-foot-3, 180-pound wing showed the ability to score at all three levels and took good care of the ball when he had it.</p> <p>"I’ve put in a lot of work this past summer just trying to get better and improve my game," Larsen said. "Thankfully we have a season and I’m just trying to put my best effort and go 110 percent and do the best that I can."</p> <p>Larsen is a transfer from Gresham where he played more of a supporting role. While it’s largely been in online school, he’s been happy with his new spot and his new team. "The community over here is great and I really like Coach (Tom) Johnson - he’s been around for a long time," Larsen said. "I’ve got a lot of great teammates here with me and I’m really happy to be here."</p> <p>Larsen, who boasts a 3.4 GPA, is still hoping to latch on to a college program. He noted that he’s talked with NWAC programs such as Clackamas and Portland CC, and it’s schools like those that are right up his alley. "I’m looking at anything local, community college, D-III, D-II - any of those I’d be fine with," Larsen said. "I’m open right now."</p> <p>Any kind of decision will be made after the season, one in which Larsen believes the possibilities are endless. "We just beat Central Catholic by 11 and I think we can beat any team in this conference, if not going undefeated, I don’t know," Larsen said. "We’ll see. It’s a high standard but if we keep doing what we’re supposed to do and Coach Johnson helps us out and we keep executing to our level, I think we can do it."</p> <p>Larsen currently ranks as the #74 player in the PrepHoops Oregon Class of 2021 rankings.</p>