Tapscott is just having fun

Chehales Tapscott is the one who’s always smiling on the court. He takes a simple approach to the game he loves: Just have fun.

“People take basketball a little too seriously sometimes,” the senior said. “You’ve got to remember that basketball is just a game, you gotta have fun. If you’re not having fun, you gotta stop playing.”

When he’s not posting up defenders and grabbing rebounds, Tapscott is just another college kid who enjoys playing video games and watching football.

“I love playing video games, man,” Tapscott said with a grin. “I like playing NCAA Football and NBA 2K12.”

He also has experienced a lot of success as a local student-athlete.

A three-year letter winner for Century High School in Hillsboro, Tapscott is an athletic power forward who earned numerous league and state honors at the 5A level. In his senior season in 2008, he averaged 23 points and 12 rebounds per game for the Jaguars.

Tapscott didn’t bring his talents to the Park Blocks until after his 2009–10 season at Clackamas Community College. While at Clackamas, Tapscott led the Cougars to a 54-8 record, culminating in back-to-back NWAACC titles and tournament MVP honors.

Tapscott says the community college route benefitted him athletically as well as academically.

“As a student, going there helped me find my studying skills and my learning skills,” Tapscott said, who is majoring in sociology. “It helped me open up what’s important to me.”

On the court, Tapscott put up gaudy stats in his sophomore campaign for the Cougars, averaging 25.5 points to go with 13.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game. Those numbers reached their pinnacle in a playoff game against Spokane Community College, where Tapscott scored 28 points while pulling down a remarkable 32 rebounds.

“Playing there definitely helped me mature athletically,” Tapscott said. “I became a smarter basketball player and really refined my skills. It was very beneficial for me.”

Tapscott’s transition to the D-1 level appeared almost seamless last season, as he stepped right in to the starting lineup for the Vikings and immediately made his presence known. In his first career start for the Vikings, Tapscott scored 15 points to go with eight rebounds in a win over Pepperdine last November. Two games later, in a 102-98 shootout win against Lamar, Tapscott recorded his first of six double-doubles on the season, scoring 19 points and grabbing 13 rebounds.

Head Coach Tyler Geving knows the value of a player like Tapscott, who brings constant energy and enthusiasm to the court.

“He’s definitely got the chance to be all-conference this year,” Geving said. “The way he plays is contagious.”

Tapscott hit a potentially drastic roadblock in January, tearing cartilage in his right knee in a game against Weber State on Jan. 20.

“It was a blow,” Tapscott said. “Me and my parents, we had high hopes for me, but my father kept saying ‘be strong, you never know.’”

After having the damaged cartilage removed on Jan. 26, Tapscott was back on the floor three weeks later for the second game against Weber State. Tapscott played sparingly in the game, but managed to grab six rebounds in 17 minutes off the bench.

“The team was struggling without me, which was an obvious disappointment,” Tapscott said. “But I was able to come back and add a much needed spark to the team, and we got a couple big wins down the stretch.”

The Vikings were glad to see Tapscott back in the lineup, as they went just 1-5 during his absence.

“You could make the case that he was our MVP last year based on that alone,” Geving said.

Tapscott managed to turn it on down the stretch, one example being his 28-point outburst against Montana on Feb. 24.

Viking fans couldn’t have asked for more from Tapscott’s debut season. He led the team in rebounding in 17 of his 24 games played, and his 8.1 rebounds per game were the highest at Portland State in six years.

“Down the stretch, Chehales showed what he is capable of doing,” Geving said.

As a personal goal, Tapscott has just one in his sights: staying on track to graduate this spring.

“I want to get my degree, first and foremost,” Tapscott said. “I’m 20-some credits away. It’s something that’s very important to me and my family.”

As for his goals on the hardwood, Tapscott believes that his team can go the distance this season and that they have the weapons to do it.

“We want a league championship, anything less than that would be a disappointment,” Tapscott said. “We have some great athletes and great talent on the team, so we’re looking very good.”

Though his time at Portland State is brief, Tapscott hopes to leave behind a legacy to which others may want to aspire.

“I want to be remembered as a winner who plays for the fun of the game,” Tapscott said. “I’m the one smiling on the court and having my fun. Like I said, you gotta have fun or you’re in the wrong game.”