Few players in the NWAC this season have seen a jump in production from year one to year two like James Grose.
Grose, a sophomore guard at Lower Columbia College and 2024 graduate of Napavine High School, is leading the reigning NWAC champion Red Devils in scoring through Jan. 10 with 17.1 points per game — up from 7.9 last year.
Grose was in an unfamiliar role as a freshman for the first half of the year. The player who won two Central 2B League MVP awards and became the first area athlete to total 2,000 career points in nearly two decades sat on the bench until mid-January.
He patiently waited his turn until a Jan. 18, 2025, loss to South Puget Sound by 11 points forced the coaching staff to make a change in the starting lineup. Grose’s number was called, and in his 14 games as a starter, the Red Devils went 14-0 en route to their first NWAC championship in 20 years.
“My role last year was to play defense, get rebounds and shoot threes. That was my role, and I embraced it a lot,” Grose said.
Grose’s role this year is much more expansive, as the coaches have drawn up more plays for him on offense and freed him up to find open shots. After shooting the ball at least 10 times in only six games last season, Grose has recorded 10 or more shot attempts in all but three games; he shot the ball nine times in each of those three games.
He’s not only shooting more shots; he’s converting on them at a higher clip, as well. Grose is shooting 46% from the field, up from 41% last year, and 39% from 3-point range, an increase from his 34% mark a season ago. He is also averaging more rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks.
“Our coaches really had a lot of faith in me last year as a freshman playing with a really good group. I’m in the gym every day just grinding,” Grose said of the reason for his boost in production. “Our coaches want to preach good basketball, and that’s what we play. They put me in good positions, and they put my team in good positions to be successful.”
Grose enjoyed the best game of his collegiate career in his return to Lewis County on Jan. 7 against Centralia College. In a double-overtime thriller, the Red Devils came out on top behind Grose’s career-high 29 points. He hit thunderous shot after thunderous shot in the clutch to help LCC crawl back from a 20-point deficit and then stave off the Trailblazers in front of a crowd that included lots of friends and family in the stands.
Since he played for the Tigers, Grose said he has most improved his mid-range game at the next level.
“My mid range has developed a lot. It’s one of the things I lacked,” he said. “I would also say I’ve improved at running off of screens and catch-and-shoot. Those are really important at this level.”
This jump to becoming one of the top 15 scorers in the NWAC wouldn’t have been possible for Grose without the help of a foundation built at Napavine under former head coach Rex Stanley, he said. He also was a member of Napavine’s 2022 state football championship team.
“I love them so much,” Grose said of the Napavine community. “The community, the coaches, they’re truly one of a kind. It’s a small town. Everybody knows everybody. I wouldn’t have wanted to go anywhere else than Napavine.”
As his time at LCC is winding down, Grose has heard from several schools recruiting him for his final two years. He admitted that he’s a bit far away from a decision on what’s next in basketball, but there’s no question in his mind about the career he eventually wants after college.
Grose wants to become a pilot.
He’s dreamed of air travel since he was young and has been inspired by Kurt Olson, a longtime Alaska Airlines pilot and flight instructor. Grose is hoping to earn his private pilot license this summer and someday be a commercial pilot.
“Flying every day is amazing. The feeling you get, there’s nothing like it,” Grose said.
Before Grose can take flight in the cockpit, he hopes to continue piloting the LCC Red Devils to success on the hardwood as they’re off to an 11-3 start. LCC’s roster also features other area alumni, including W.F. West graduate Parker Eiswald and former Tenino Beaver Noah Schow, who graduated from Annie Wright.
