Knock on Wood: Seahawks Boys Basketball is Ready for a Healthy Start

You realize pretty quickly that coaching isn’t just about basketball.”

Knock. Knock. Knock.

That’s the sound of Sean Muilenburg’s knuckles against wood. For the first time in his four years as the Peninsula High School boys basketball coach, he enters the preseason with a healthy core of players.

Health hasn’t always been on the Seahawks’ side. In recent years, the team limped through the first half of the season, nursing injuries or fighting the flu. This fall, the training room is a little quieter, the roster is full of returnees and newcomers, and the head coach allows himself a rare moment of healthy optimism: cautious, but real.

The Seahawks basketball team hasn’t had a winning record since the 2017-18 season, and after a few tough seasons at the helm, Muilenburg said his focus has shifted from chasing wins to developing young players and building a sustainable culture.

“You realize pretty quickly that coaching isn’t just about basketball,” Muilenburg said. “It’s about teaching them how to compete the right way and enjoy the process of getting better.”

The Seahawks finished the 2024-25 season with a 6-15 overall record (4-12 in the Puget Sound League), placing fifth in the Nisqually Division and missing the playoffs for the fifth straight year. But Muilenburg believes the pieces are in place for a turnaround.

Senior AJ Alexeev, who averaged 15.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, returns as the team’s top offensive threat. The talented guard is drawing interest from Tacoma Community College and several National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics programs after finishing as Peninsula’s second-leading scorer and rebounder last season.

Junior Talen McDonnell (3.7 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.4 apg) is a steady backcourt leader who had a breakout performance against Gig Harbor that “really showed what he can do,” Muilenburg said. McDonnell and Alexeev will anchor the team’s perimeter shooting after both hit around 33% from beyond the arc. McDonnell’s growth will be critical to replacing the 17 points per game lost with the graduation of all-conference guard Isaac Schultz-Tait.

Muilenburg’s middle son, Aiden, a junior, returns from a strong football season as a tight end and defensive back. The younger Muilenburg sets the tone with his energy and toughness inside. He led the team in rebounds (9.5) and blocks (2.2) while adding six points a game, and his coach believes he’s poised for a season averaging double-digits in both.

The Seahawks will also get a boost from Tariq Taylor, a transfer guard from Graham-Kapowsin who brings quickness and grit to the defensive end. Muilenburg called Taylor, senior Trever Bingham, and junior Xavier Jones “one of the best defensive guard groups I’ve ever had.”

“I want those guys attacking on offense and rewarding themselves for their defensive effort,” he said.

Senior Isaac Smith (2.6 ppg, 1.3 rpg) provides outside shooting and smarts — his father, William, coached at South Kitsap, and Muilenburg said the younger Smith “sees the game like a coach.” Junior Eaton Hansonsmith, whom Muilenburg half-jokingly calls “the best rebounder I’ve seen since Dennis Rodman,” will also be key off the bench. And there’s a wild card: a 6-foot-7-inch transfer from Arizona who may join the team this month. “He could change us completely,” Muilenburg said.

Last year’s team preferred to run, sometimes to the coach’s frustration. This season, he wants his players to take better care of the ball and control the tempo. “We’ll use the clock, work for paint touches, and make sure every possession matters,” he said. “It’s a little more old school, but that’s how we want to play.”

Helping to reinforce that approach is assistant coach Tommy Felton, a former Peninsula girls assistant who returns to the program after coaching at Mount Tahoma. Muilenburg said Felton’s ability to develop players individually and bring consistency between the JV and varsity levels is already paying off.

Offseason workouts that once drew a dozen players now see more than two dozen in the gym. The growth, Muilenburg said, is a reflection of commitment. “They show up, and they’re holding each other to a standard. You know you’re starting to turn a corner when they take ownership like that.”

Peninsula will open the season Dec. 5 at home against defending league champion Lincoln High School, followed by Silas and Mount Tahoma. The Puget Sound League remains loaded with talent, and Bellarmine Prep., Timberline, Silas, and Lakes are all expected to contend.

“I think we’ll be ready,” Muilenburg said. “Hopefully this time, we’re fresh and can stay healthy.”

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Correction: In an earlier version of this article, Talen McDonnell's name was mispelled. We regret the error.