Emerald City Coaching Staff

Jasen Baskett

In the summer of 2000, Jasen Baskett founded Emerald City Basketball Academy at the old Queen Anne High School in Seattle, WA with only 10 players and himself. Coach Baskett was the first of his kind to start a 7-day a week 365 day a year basketball training development academy. Over the past 10 years, ECBA has had a sizeable increase from the original 10 players to an average 250-300 per month with a notable expansion on programs including player development, individual and team coaching, teams, leagues and tournaments.

Coach Baskett is also on the cutting edge of developing training aids to increase player’s progressions. Coach Baskett has produced over 200 Div I, II and III collegiate basketball players, both men and women.

Chase Young

Coach Young has been the youth boys team director at ECBA since 2005. Since then he has developed Emerald City's youth teams to compete at the National level. These teams travel to Portland, Yakima, Reno, Vegas, LA, and Nationals. Coach Young has coached the 2010, 2011, 2012 and currently coaching the 2014 Pioneers and 2016 Emerald City Pioneers.

Chase played 4 years on varsity at Roosevelt HS and graduated class of '99. His skills on the court and in the classroom landed him at Occidental College where he started for 4 years under Coach Brian Newhall. In his senior year (2003), he helped Oxy become the first team in the 80 year history of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC)to go undefeated in league play. Post season, his Oxy squad made history again when they advanced further than any SCIAC school had in D3 National play by advancing to the Elite Eight. After college, Chase went on to play semi-pro in Denmark where he played and found his passion for coaching. While there, he had a career-high 42 points and set a club record for 3's in one game 10-13. On his return to Seattle Chase became the head JV coach and head assistant under Bart Brandonberg at Roosevelt HS from 2004-2006.

Ross Fernley

Coach Fernley has been coaching and training at ECBA since 2002. Ross went to Kennedy HS where he played under ECBA found Jasen Baskett. Ross has helped Jasen build ECBA to what it is today. He coaches the 2012 legends (9th girls) and the 5th grade girls. He also coached the swish 2009 (hs girls). On the boys side he coaches the Pioneers 2013 (8th), 2 time winners of the prestigious Reno Memorial Day tournament.

Coach Aaron Skeem Mackey

Coach Skeem graduated from summit high school where he was a 4-year varsity starter on the basketball team. He was league MVP as a junior scoring over 20 points and 7 assists a game. Aaron went on to play two years at Shoreline Community College. He then began his coaching career at shoreline where he was a head assistant for 7 seasons. Coach Aaron has been coaching/training at Emerald City since 2006. He coaches 7th, 8th and 9th grade teams. HHe was the proud director of the original Force team who in one season played over 90 games and won 3 championships. There are over 30 freshman players that have played for Aaron at Emerald City. Coach Aaron is also currently coaching at Garfield HS as the girls JV coach and girls varsity head assistant.

Coach James Johnson Jr.

Born and raised in Federal Way, Washington where he played ball at Federal Way High School. The summer before his senior year L.J. played for Jasen Basket's Emerald City Pioneers team. After graduating in 1999 L.J spent one year playing at Olympic Community College before receiving a scholarship to play at Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia. Named Co-Captain his junior and senior year L.J. earned a degree in Mass Communications in 2006. Before moving back to Seattle, L.J. spent his summers mentoring young inner city youth and coaching at the Jason Terry Basketball Camp in Tucson, Arizona. L.J. coaches the 6th grade girls, 7th grade boys, and also coaches the Roosevelt HS JVC Boy's Basketball Team.

Keith Wasberg

Coach Wasberg has been coaching basketball since 1994 at the age of 16. He has coached all ages both girls and boys year round. His High Schools boys coaching experiences include stints at Shorecrest, Ballard, and his alma mater Nathan Hale. He has coached and trained at the Emerald City Basketball Academy since August of 2000. At ECBA, Coach Wasberg has worked closely with Jasen Baskett, bringing in coaches and players to the program, organizing teams and events, and coaching many of the top girls teams. He has started multiple girls' team at the youth level and brought them through the High School ranks. As of 2008, his coaching resume now also includes being the Head Varsity Girls Basketball Coach at Tahoma High School.

Coach Darnell Taylor

Darnell is the smoothest coach at Emerald City since arriving in 2006. Coach Taylor has been a coach and trainer for over two years for Emerald City. Coach D is now coaching the 2015 Pioneers, 2014 EC 7th grade girls, and the head JV coach and head assistant on Mercer Island's girls varsity team. Darnell played two years at D2 powerhouse WWU and then continued to play semi-pro on every team in Seattle until coming to Emerald City.