The South Eugene boys’ basketball team is midway through a successful season. At the time of print, the season record was 9-7 and 3-0 in league, making South the top-ranked team in the 6A-7 Southwest Conference.
“We’re currently on a six-game winning streak and are undefeated so far in league games,” senior and varsity co-captain Robin Lin shared.
This season kicked off the new leadership of Head Coach and South alum George Zaninovich and Assistant Coach Stacy Turnbull. During his time at South, Zaninovich was team captain, All-League guard, and All-State guard. In college, he went on to contribute to the University of Pennsylvania’s Ivy League Championship-winning team.
“I believe this change has had an overwhelmingly positive impact on our community as a whole,” Lin said. “Thanks to the emphasis on communication and accountability over these past few months, I think our team culture has changed for the better. It really feels like everyone has bought into our new coach’s approach, each person striving to contribute however they can to support the team.”
Indeed, off the court, a focus has been on building a stronger community within the team. Lin’s personal highlight was a team camping trip—a new tradition for South boys’ basketball.
“I had a great time bonding with my teammates for a few uninterrupted days,” Lin recalled.
South has strong goals for the rest of the 2026 season.
“We’ve set our focus on the race for improvement, working to become the best we can by the end of the regular season,” Lin said, “Like all teams, our ultimate goal is to win state.”
The Axe 