Coach Takes Teams to LSI — Twice

For Marshall Cho, traveling the world is just another way to train young basketball players how to shoot. The Lake Oswego High School coach began his career in 2004 in Central Harlem as a middle school teacher and coach at the Future Leaders Institute Charter School. Then he traveled to South Africa to coach in Mozambique for three years. Cho got his first Les Schwab Invitational experience during his tenure at DeMatha Catholic High School in Maryland, when DeMatha took the 2010 LSI title. Once in Oregon, Cho and his Lake Oswego team scored a spot in the 2015 Les Schwab Invitational.

Driving the Court

During the LSI, Oregon teams have the opportunity to play against top-level competition from around the country.

“We had to get through very tough games against Westview and Jesuit to get to the final,” Cho recalled. “In both games, we were down at times and I remember how hard it is for an out-of-town squad to play at the LSI with all the fans backing the Oregon teams.”

Cho and his team applied themselves well in 2015 in order to beat Southridge in their first-round matchup; the team had eliminated Lake Oswego in the state playoffs last year and returned with many of its main players.

Though Lake Oswego lost to DeMatha Catholic in the second round, Cho welcomed the challenge of playing four games in four nights.

‘Whether We Win or Lose’

“Coach (Mike) Jones and the DeMatha staff are like family to me and have had a big influence on my coaching philosophy,” said Cho. “I think daily about the lessons I learned there as my coaching staff and I lay down the foundations of the Lake Oswego High School program. The Les Schwab Invitational gives us the opportunity to drive home the lesson of focusing on the next play whether we win or lose, because there is no time to celebrate or sulk.”

Les Schwab Tire Centers thank all the players and coaches who made the 2015 LSI worth watching!