The Grand Rapids Press
January 2, 1995
The Quiet Belies the Contribution
by Jeff Seidel

Doug Schlaff walks out of the locker room with a bulky duffel bag hanging from his shoulder. He zips his winter coat, takes another step into a group of people and disappears. Here and then gone. That’s Doug Schlaff. He can blend into a crowd and disappear without notice.
Maybe, it’s his personality – quiet and unassuming.
Maybe, it’s his tall, slender frame – on this team of tall and slender clones.
Maybe, it’s his style – so smooth, so effortless, so peaceful.
On the basketball court, he scores quietly. He moves in silence, never attracting attention. His expression is fixed in a blank stare. Rarely does he show emotion. Rarely does he make a mistake. That’s Doug Schlaff. The son of a coach, a student of the game.
Maybe, it’s his personality – quiet and unassuming.
Maybe, it’s his tall, slender frame – on this team of tall and slender clones.
Maybe, it’s his style – so smooth, so effortless, so peaceful.
On the basketball court, he scores quietly. He moves in silence, never attracting attention. His expression is fixed in a blank stare. Rarely does he show emotion. Rarely does he make a mistake. That’s Doug Schlaff. The son of a coach, a student of the game.
More than Meets the Eye

Standing in a hallway in the Civic Center, after the Flying Dutchmen won their 11th straight game with the Russ DeVette Holiday Classic title, Schlaff leans against a wall and agrees to an interview. Suddenly, apart from the rest, he begins to change appearance: the blank stare replaced with an energetic smile, the quiet demeanor replaced with a quick laugh and the graceful silence replaced with a solemn self-assurance. He is quick to talk about others, about the Flying Dutchmen, about the winning streak and about the team’s attitude. He is quick to talk about the importance of this summer’s Sweden trip and about the camaraderie on the team. Rarely does he talk about himself. “This is our second year together and we know each other,” Schlaff said, of the team. “We know each other’s capabilities as well as our own. “It’s fun to have everybody contributing.” Schlaff, a 6-foot-5 senior from Montague, has started every game for Hope this year at guard. Last year, he started all but two. “Doug has a lot of roles,” Hope coach Glenn Van Wieren said. “We expect him to defend against the best offensive player we play against. “He does so many things that go unnoticed, so many little things. He’s invaluable for what he can do.” His brilliance is so subtle.
It’s the way he grabs a rebound and quickly starts the fast break.
The way he pesters an offensive player, slapping at the ball, sticking his hand into the passing lane, denying the shot.
The way he can slash through the defense.
The way he positions his feet, preventing a drive, forcing a player into a double team.
The way he moves without the ball, setting screens, creating offense.
So subtle, yet so significant.
It’s the way he grabs a rebound and quickly starts the fast break.
The way he pesters an offensive player, slapping at the ball, sticking his hand into the passing lane, denying the shot.
The way he can slash through the defense.
The way he positions his feet, preventing a drive, forcing a player into a double team.
The way he moves without the ball, setting screens, creating offense.
So subtle, yet so significant.
A Real Team Player

In the hallway, the interview nearly complete, you realize Doug Schlaff has said nothing about himself. He has turned every question into a discussion about his father, who played basketball at Western Michigan University and now coaches in Montague; and his brother, who played baseball at Hope. So you return to Van Wieren and ask again about this tranquil, left-handed, defensive star with the short blonde hair. “He’s kind of quiet, but he comes to play and plays hard,” Van Wieren said, “Doug has a great personality to quiet a team down. He doesn’t get overly excited. He is able to remain focused. He is an extremely competitive person.” Schlaff is an education major with a 3.68 grade point average – one of the highest on the team. He has a double major in English and psychology and plans to be a teacher.
“Doug offers any coach a lot of versatility,” Van Wieren said. “He can handle the ball. He can beat people one-on-one. His defense is as good as anybody we have.”
One game, he scores four points. The next, he’s in double figures.
One game, he has seven rebounds. The next, he has nine assists.
“Doug can do so many things,” Van Wieren said. “He is in there because he does variety so well. He’s multi-dimensional. “This year, he’s coming off screens better and moving the ball better. His low post passing is better. He has blended his abilities with our team’s capabilities.”
Blend. The word is repeated over and over and over in every discussion of Doug Schlaff. “The beauty of Doug Schlaff is how he just blends in so well with the other starters,” Van Wieren said. Later, you see Schlaff walking again through a crowd of people. This time, you keep your eye on him, on his tall slender frame. The blonde hair and the duffel bag hanging to his hip.
The prominence is so subtle, the style so smooth, the blend so significant.
“Doug offers any coach a lot of versatility,” Van Wieren said. “He can handle the ball. He can beat people one-on-one. His defense is as good as anybody we have.”
One game, he scores four points. The next, he’s in double figures.
One game, he has seven rebounds. The next, he has nine assists.
“Doug can do so many things,” Van Wieren said. “He is in there because he does variety so well. He’s multi-dimensional. “This year, he’s coming off screens better and moving the ball better. His low post passing is better. He has blended his abilities with our team’s capabilities.”
Blend. The word is repeated over and over and over in every discussion of Doug Schlaff. “The beauty of Doug Schlaff is how he just blends in so well with the other starters,” Van Wieren said. Later, you see Schlaff walking again through a crowd of people. This time, you keep your eye on him, on his tall slender frame. The blonde hair and the duffel bag hanging to his hip.
The prominence is so subtle, the style so smooth, the blend so significant.