Prospect Spotlight: Ben Pak (2019 Southridge HS)
While Southridge wasn’t able to repeat a state tournament appearance, it was a solid year for the Skyhawks – especially considering the circumstances. Ben Pak was a big reason why. The tough 6-foot-1, 160-pound senior stepped up his game, picking…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingWhile Southridge wasn’t able to repeat a state tournament appearance, it was a solid year for the Skyhawks – especially considering the circumstances. Ben Pak was a big reason why. The tough 6-foot-1, 160-pound senior stepped up his game, picking up his scoring to make up for personnel losses but also continuing to run the point and finding his teammates for buckets.
“I’ve always been a pass-first guy – I really like getting other people the ball,” Pak said. “I like seeing other people score, that’s kind of my thing. I’ll score if we have to, but if I can get someone for a dump-off or an open three, then of course I’m going to get that.”
Pak is also a hard-nosed defender who often got in the grill of opposing guards all season long. He can knock down the open three and also create a bit off the dribble for himself. In Southridge’s last game of the season, he scored ten points and dished out eight assists against a tough Mountain View zone and in the post-season awards, he earned Second Team All-Metro League honors.
Pak is hopeful that his playing career will continue at the next level. He’s had some conversations with George Fox head coach Maco Hamilton and Pacific Lutheran was talking to him early in the year. Basically he’s wide open at this point. “That’s always been a dream of mine since I was a little kid, I’ve wanted to play college ball,” Pak said. “But I’m totally open – I’ve always wanted to do that.”
Southridge’s quest for another state tournament run ended with a loss at Jefferson. There were some challenges as injuries and personnel changes took out two starters but Pak and company compensated. “It was tough with a couple of players going down early in the season but we figured it out,” Pak said. “We figured out how to play with what we have.”