By Trevor Wenners
Assistant Director of Sports Information
Every basketball coach dreams of having a player like Justyn Olson.
Olson suited up for the LaGrange College men's basketball team from 2014-17, winning two USA South Championships and reaching three NCAA Division III Tournaments. The LaGrange native could do it all on both ends of the floor. Most importantly, he had that rare ability to simultaneously be a team's go-to player and hardest worker.
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| Justyn Olson spent six years with the LaGrange men's basketball program. |
"Justyn was constantly in the gym and weight room and would not accept anything but being successful," said LaGrange College assistant athletic director and men's basketball head coach Kendal Wallace. "J.O. excelled with toughness, hustle and defense. Many of our young athletes should go back and watch some of his game film."
Olson set the tone each day in practice, arriving early and staying late. The 2013 LaGrange High School graduate led by example and held his teammates and himself accountable as a junior and senior captain. He was pivotal in continuing to create a winning culture inside the men's basketball program, with a commitment to excellence and a constant desire to improve.
Olson was a fierce competitor on the defensive end, as he tallied five or more steals nine times. A great deal of Olson's offensive production started on defense.
"We actually have a term that we use in practice called 'J.O. defense," said Wallace. "Our players entice the offense to think they are not playing defense, but actually they are anticipating where the offense will pass the ball. Then, they go and steal it. J.O. was a master at that."
Olson earned a bachelor's degree in exercise science in 2018 and is working toward obtaining a Master of Arts in teaching from LaGrange College in 2021. In August, Olson started teaching seventh-grade life science at Long Cane Middle School in LaGrange.
Additionally, the young man is serving as the junior-varsity head coach and varsity assistant coach for the boys' basketball program at Troup County High School. Olson will be working alongside varsity head coach Blake Craft '12, who was a four-year player at LaGrange College and competed one season under Wallace.
"Being a coach means being there for your players day in and day out," said Olson. "It means being a mentor, leader, influencer, caregiver and parent to people who truly look up to you. It means teaching them life skills that translate to more than just winning games and it means loving players, unconditionally, because you want what is best for them."
Olson gained valuable experience as an assistant coach on Wallace's staff from 2017-20. He led drills in practice, scouted, broke down film and recognized in-game adjustments.
"In regard to Justyn's coaching ability, he is a natural," said Wallace. "If he can get young athletes to approach and the play the game as he did, the future is bright for basketball."
For Olson, basketball is much more than just a game, it is a way of life. It has taught him the value of sacrificing for the greater good, loyalty and respect.
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| Olson puts his head down and drives to the basket. |
Olson will always cherish winning conference championships in 2015 and 2017. However, the real joy is in the journey to reach the top of the mountain. The climb is full of challenges and roadblocks but Olson remembers overcoming those obstacles together, which creates a bond that can never be broken.
"We worked hard and put in so much time emotionally and mentally to achieve our goals," said Olson. "It was not an easy ride and we had many ups and downs, but that is what made our success even sweeter. The friendships that I made are stronger because we went through a struggle together, surrendered our own individual goals and rose as a team to achieve something that others dream of achieving. Some of my best memories involve LaGrange College and everything it represents."
Olson's story shows that hard work trumps talent. Most of Olson's game centered around his passion, whether it was playing ferocious on-ball defense the length of the court or penetrating aggressively into the teeth of a defense. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound guard never took plays off.
"I was never the most talented, tallest, best shooter or quickest basketball player," said Olson. "I had to outwork everyone else. Nothing was ever given to me and I believe this was what shaped my perspective of basketball and life. I spent hours and hours in the gym getting better."
Olson averaged 14.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.1 steals during his Panther career. He shot 45.3 percent from the field, 37.8 percent from 3-point range and 77.1 percent from the foul line.
Olson scored 20 or more points 18 times, including dropping a career-high 36 points during a 97-87 win at Huntingdon on Feb. 17, 2016. He finished with 15 points and a career-high 10 rebounds during a 73-64 triumph at Covenant on Jan. 2, 2016. Olson corralled seven or more rebounds 16 times and dished out five or more assists on 13 occasions.
"I always tried to let the game come to me," said Olson. "We had an explosive team and I knew if I was not efficient, then I would be hurting us. It makes being efficient much easier when you have guys like Alex Bonner, Drew Vanderbrook, Mark Wagner, Braxton Ford and Nick Mitchell. All of them could score at will."
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| Olson (far left) poses for a picture with fellow seniors Jacob Gaetanos, Drew Vanderbrook and Tyler Langston during the 2016-17 season. |
Olson is in the Panthers' 1,000-point scoring club, ranking 16th with 1,226 career points. During the 2016-17 and 2015-16 campaigns, he finished with 72 and 62 steals, respectively, as those marks are third and tied for eighth inside the Panthers' record.
Olson's 144 made free throws during the 2015-16 season put him in a tie for sixth in program history. He ranks fourth in career steals (180), fifth in made free throws (344) and 10th in 3-point, field-goal percentage (37.8).
The determined individual was named to the USA South All-Conference Second Team in 2016. Olson's impact is measured in the fact that LaGrange compiled a 55-32 overall record and an 8-1 mark in the USA South Tournament during his tenure.
"Being a part of such a successful program as the one at LC is not something every collegiate basketball player gets to experience," said Olson. "We had a combination of talent, toughness, desire and teamwork. Our best quality was that we decided to buy into each other and the program. Every player put aside their own individual agendas for the betterment of the team."
As Olson is starting the next chapter of his life, he believes that LaGrange College put him on a path for long-term success.
"I chose LaGrange because it had everything that I was looking for in a college," said Olson. "LaGrange fosters a family atmosphere. I knew that I would feel like an important member of the LC community because the faculty and staff made me feel welcomed, heard and valued. There was also a community amongst the students that was unlike anywhere else I visited. Attending LaGrange College was one of the best decisions that I ever made."
Trevor Wenners can be reached at twenners@lagrange.edu.
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