Alaska hoops maestro Chuck Martin takes over as East Thunderbirds coach

One’s imagination can only soar when pondering the possibilities a coach of Chuck Martin’s caliber can bring to a talented East High boys basketball team.

From bringing banners to Houston, Colony and Wasilla to helping a losing Division I Liberty University men’s basketball program make it to the NCAA Tournament, Martin is no stranger to winning.

Most recently the coach at Palmer, Martin agreed to take the mantle as coach of the Thunderbirds this season.

“It really was just a circumstance where I got asked about it,” he said.

Martin, who won more than 300 combined games at Houston, Colony, Wasilla and Palmer, replaced Jason Jno-Lewis, who was 15-13 last season and 95-46 with one CIC title in five seasons as the East coach, according to records kept at Max Prep Sports.

Talk of Palmer potentially dropping from Class 4A to Class 3A helped sway his decision to take the East job, Martin said.

“It was kind of a spur of the moment thing," he said. "I just decided to do it. It’s just a new challenge.”

East is one of Alaska’s most storied boys basketball programs with more Class 4A titles (16) and more Cook Inlet Conference titles (23) than any other school. Most of the school’s success came under longtime coach Chuck White, winner of 14 state crowns during the 1970s, 80s and 90s; since he left, East has won two titles, in 2000 and 2013.

Martin’s arrival at East coincides with the arrival of 6-foot-10 senior Andrew Graves, who most recently played at Oregon powerhouse Jefferson High School in Portland, where last season Graves played with Kamaka Hepa, the former Barrow standout and current Texas Longhorn.

Originally from Alaska, Graves is playing high school basketball here for the first time. He spent his freshman season at Canyonville Christian Academy in Canyonville, Oregon, and his sophomore season at Scale Prep Academy in Chino, California.

He also played in Alaska’s AAU circuit as well as at Wendler Middle School.

Martin said Graves has talent and potential, but development will be a key focus this season.

“He’s athletic — he can jump, he has great hands, he can pass and he can shoot it," Martin said. "But when you haven’t played a ton of basketball, especially organized basketball, the game still has nuances to it.”

Players 6-10 and taller are a rarity in high school basketball, but Martin is accustomed to coaching big centers. When he was the Wasilla coach, Martin’s players included 6-11 standout Ray Schafer, who played four years at the University of Oregon.

Graves was able to bypass transfer complications because he is originally from Anchorage and moved back to spend more time with his father.

“It was better for me to come home (and) spend a year with my dad because I haven’t had a year at home with him yet,” said Graves.

Graves' dad lives within East’s boundaries, Martin said, making Graves immediately eligible because he moved here from Oregon.

“(Moving) makes you eligible — if you move in to a boundary,” said Martin.

Graves said he’s excited for his senior campaign with the Thunderbirds under Martin.

“I’m really excited. He’s a genius. He knows a lot about basketball,” said Graves. “I feel more at home here, because this is where I grew up.”