Cho brings prestigious coaches to speak at Lake Oswego High School

Lake Oswego head coach Marshall Cho helps put on a clinic for youth players in China.

LAKE OSWEGO REVIEW | By Matt Sherman | August 25, 2016

Lake Oswego head basketball coach Marshall Cho has big plans for the program in the coming years.

Cho has an impressive background, being heavily involved with USA basketball at the youth level and that experience has helped Cho make some impressive connections.

Now, some of those connections are coming to Lake Oswego next month as part of the Youth Coach Academy.

Cho was instrumental in getting the Portland area selected as one of six cities this year to host the clinics with an emphasis on making sure that coaches at the youth level are as highly reputable as possible.

"USA basketball is playing a big part in keeping coaches certified. You see how in a lot of other sports, coaches have to go through a process to become certified. But in basketball, just about anyone can come in and coach a club team," Cho said.

The clinics were started last year in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago and expanded to six cities this year, with Atlanta, Las Vegas and Portland being added to the list.

As a result, an impressive list of speakers will be at Lake Oswego High School Sept. 24-25.

Along with Cho, University of Oregon men's basketball coach Dana Altman will be on hand as well as Michael Neighbors, head coach of the University of Washington's women's program.

Other speakers include former NBA assistant coach Kevin Eastman, University of Pittsburgh assistant men's basketball coach Kevin Sutton, Men's Junior National team head coach Don Showalter, Chicago Bulls scout Dave Bollwinkel, Gonzaga University Director of Basketball Operations Jerry Krause, Concorida University head basketball coach Brad Barbarick and University of San Francisco Senior Associate Athletic Director Frank Allocco.

"It's really just the beginning and that's very exciting," Cho said.

Cho spoke at the clinic in Los Angeles last year and was immediately interested in bringing a similar event to the Lake Oswego campus.

"I think it's an unbelievable opportunity for the community," Cho said.

In his short time as head boys basketball coach at LOHS, he has been very active in strengthening the program from the ground up.

"Every one of our youth coaches will participate in this event. I think it will set a tone for our youth basketball program," Cho said.

Cho would also like to expand the horizons of his high school program. He recently returned from a trip to China where he helped out with the Yao Ming Foundation for the second year in a row.

"His foundation and charity work haven't been very widely publicized but he's done some great things," Cho said.

Cho and his assistant helped run clinics for roughly 330 kids and then worked with Chinese youth coaches, teaching them drills and exercises they could use with their own players.

It was all a lead up to Ming's big fundraiser of the year where he invites NBA players to China for a charity All-Star game.

"I'd love to get my players involved in something like this," Cho said.