Athlete of the Week: Soffer revealing a dominant game inside the arc

Poway High’s Dalton Soffer is filled with temptation nearly every time he touches the basketball beyond the 3-point line.

There is not an ounce in the senior’s 6-foot, 5-inch, 190-pound body that doesn’t believe he would bury the long-range jumper. He often proves that instinct correct, as he has knocked down 48 3-pointers in 17 games this season.

But the wingman, who signed with Seton Hall last November, is starting to reveal he is much more than a 3-point threat. In fact, he has been most lethal for the Titans when he resists pulling the trigger from beyond the arc and works to get the ball in the post.

“Since back in the day, in middle school, my coaches have told me to work inside out,” Soffer said. “Before going outside, get the inside going. If I see a mismatch or I don’t think the guy can guard me in the post, then I take it down there and earn respect. Then the outside shot can come.”

Scott Fisher, the Poway boys basketball coach, has to be delighted to hear those words. He coached Soffer as a freshman on the junior varsity team before leaving for a few years and then returning as the varsity coach last season. When he came back, he noticed a change in Soffer’s game.

“I have known for years he could score in the post and midrange levels,” Fisher said. “But when I came back, when Dalton was a junior, he considered himself more of a 3-point shooter. I consider him a scorer who can score at all three levels: post, midrange and the 3-pointer. I constantly encourage him to take advantage of those skills.”

Soffer took full advantage of all his skills in Friday’s game against rival Rancho Bernardo. After being sick with the flu all week, he delivered a career-high 39 points in the Titans’ thrilling 69-67 Palomar League victory.

Soffer, who made the list of some 800 seniors across the country nominated to play in the prestigious McDonald’s All-American Game, showed off his touch around the rim, his short jumper and his prized 3-point stroke.

“When he does all of those things, he is really hard to guard,” Fisher said. “When he only views himself as a shooter, he is much easier to guard. I was really proud of him for how he scored from lots of different places.”

Soffer hit three treys, but spent most of the game working to get the ball in the post. As a result, he scored with ease in the paint and opened up the floor for his teammates to get great looks. It was a recipe Fisher would like to see more of this season.

“He has predominantly been a 3-point shooter this season,” Fisher said. “In order for him to be as good as a player as he can be and for us to be as good as a team we can be, he needs to score from all three spots: post, midrange and 3-pointers.”

Soffer is averaging 20 points and 5.2 rebounds per game for the Titans, who entered this week 13-9 overall and 2-2 in league play. Soffer’s passion for putting the ball through the hoop started in the fourth grade.

“I just remember realizing that I had that scorer’s mentality,” he said. “Every shot I took I thought was going in. I just always thought on the court, ‘this guy can’t guard me. I am going to score on him.’ Honestly, since I was a kid playing recreation league, I have always just wanted to score and I have that mentality every time I get the ball.”

And unfortunately for opponents, he is starting to show he can score from more spots than just behind the 3-point line.