All-Region boys basketball: Micah Paulson

Micah Paulson briefly considered not playing basketball his senior year.

Now, he wouldn’t trade this past season for anything.

FIRST TEAM

Joey Bean, sr., Columbia River

Robert Franks, sr., Evergreen

Riley Hawken, sr., Union

Trevor Jasinsky, sr., Camas

Kienan Walter, jr., King’s Way Christian

SECOND TEAM

Cameron Cranston, so., Union

Nathan Hawthorne, sr., Columbia River

Devin Johnson, sr., Battle Ground

Marcus Lord, sr., Skyview

Noah Prangley, sr., Washougal

Jordan Suell, sr., Fort Vancouver

The Union guard remodeled his game and, more importantly, his attitude before his final high school basketball season.

“I was pretty selfish,” Paulson said “That’s the honest truth. I came in from the summer and said ‘I’ve got to stop thinking about myself.’ It’s not fun to play like that. This is my last year, and if I’m going to have any chance to go to (state), I’m not going to be able to do it by myself.”

Paulson let go of his ego. In the process, he became the perfect model of why Union was among the best Class 4A teams in the state.

Versatile, gritty and unified with his teammates, Paulson was the quintessential player on the area’s best team. For that, the 4A Greater St. Helens League MVP is The Columbian’s All-Region boys basketball player of the year.

“He made everyone better,” Union coach Blake Conley said. “That’s one of the biggest compliments you can pay to a player.”

It wasn’t always that way. His first three years at Union, Paulson was driven by one desire — to play Division I college basketball and then professionally.

He knew only one way to pursue that dream: Score … a lot. Teammates might not get as many shots, but so what?

Conley took over the Union program before Paulson’s junior year. It wasn’t long before they butted heads.

“I don’t know what this guy is doing, he’s shutting me down,” Paulson remembers thinking. “I really struggled throughout the year with that. I had a lot of issues with myself basketball-wise.”

Paulson’s issues grew deeper after his junior year while playing with the AAU team Northwest Panthers. That team had three players who have signed to play at NCAA Division I programs including Robert Franks (Washington State), Dominic Green (Arizona State) and David Crisp (Washington).

“They all had something I didn’t really have,” he said. “They had a big stature and were super athletic.”

Paulson, who stands a lean 6-foot-1, was coming to the difficult realization that he wasn’t at their level. His Division I dream was slipping away.

Bothered by a lingering knee injury, Paulson stopped playing for the Panthers. He then considered quitting basketball altogether.

“My life was kind of jumbled up,” Paulson said. “Things were going downhill for me. I would rather get things together and figure out what I’m going to do for college and my job.”

Paulson talked with his family. He talked with teammates. He talked with friends.

He stepped away the court and saw the basketball from a different perspective. He realized he still loved the game, but had forgotten how to have fun.

“Micah realized he didn’t want basketball to define who he is,” Conley said. “He’s a passionate guy. If he had a bad game, he would internalize it. Last summer, it was like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He played loose. He was having a lot more fun.”

Paulson became more comfortable and confident with his basketball identity. Maybe his on-court DNA wasn’t fit for scoring 30 points a night, but it was tailor made for facilitating his teammates and playing hard-nosed defense.

That new style fit perfectly on a Union team that was growing together on and off the court. Paulson remembers a Tacoma-area holiday tournament where the chemistry clicked.

“We were all together and having fun,” he said. “We loved it. From then on things just got better.”

Union wouldn’t lose for the rest of the regular season. Paulson, Riley Hawken and Cameron Cranston each averaged about 13 points per game, a balanced attack that opponents couldn’t stop.

Compared to his junior year, Paulson’s per-game scoring dropped about three points per game, but his assists were up by three a game. On defense, he played with an effort and effectiveness he never had.

Union won two hard-fought state tournament games before losing in the semifinals to eventual champion Federal Way. The Titans trailed by 19 points after one quarter, but fought back to tie the game in the fourth quarter.

Union beat Woodinville the next day to claim third place.

“It means to world to me to be able to make that run with them,” Paulson said. “It stunk the way it ended, but it showed what we were about. Even in the Federal Way loss, we stuck together and fought back. We bounced back the next day and won by 24.”

Paulson is being recruited by a mix of Division II and Division III schools. He might not reach his goal of playing Division I basketball, but he gained something more valuable — memories and friendships to last a lifetime.

“Playing basketball was the best decision of my life,” Paulson said. “I’m never going to forget this year.”