Navy men’s basketball’s Lysander Rehnstrom one of three to be honored on senior day

As a high school senior, Lysander Rehnstrom suffered a severe injury that threatened to end his basketball career.

He spent two weeks in intensive care with a lacerated spleen and was told by doctors to avoid contact sports for the foreseeable future.It was a crushing blow for Rehnstrom, whose childhood dream was to play college basketball.While laying in the hospital bed I decided this was not going to be the end of my basketball career, Rehnstrom said.Rehnstrom joined the program at George Mason as a walk-on and appeared in just two games as a freshman in 2020-21.

When coach Dave Paulsen was fired following the season, Rehnstrom decided to transfer and never imagined the destination would be the Naval Academy.However, a George Mason assistant had a connection to the Navy staff and recommended Rehnstrom, a standout student who graduated from high school with a 4.3 grade point average.Rehnstrom committed to Navy basketball in May and about a month later found himself walking into Alumni Hall for plebe summer indoctrination.It was absolutely a whirlwind.

It was a crazy year and a half in which my life completely changed, Rehnstrom said.

I went from living in an apartment in D.C.

and thinking about getting a dog with my girlfriend to being a plebe living in Bancroft Hall getting yelled at all the time.Four years later, Rehnstrom has assumed a major leadership role within the Brigade of Midshipmen.

He holds the title of Athletic Team Commander at the Naval Academy, commonly known as the captain of captains.Rehnstrom meets regularly with all the other varsity captains to discuss what topics and issues should be communicated to athletic department higher-ups and the Naval Academy leadership as a whole.

He meets regularly with the Superintendent (Vice Admiral Yvette Davids) and Commandant of Midshipmen (Captain Walter Allman).I was honored to be selected to represent varsity sports when discussing large policy changes that give athletes the resources they need to be successful competing at the highest level, Rehnstrom said.

Frankly, its been the ultimate learning experience and very rewarding.Those additional duties lead Rehnstrom to express gratitude for having two other seniors to help lead the Navy mens basketball program.

Mitch Fischer and Cam Summers have helped the team captain build an inclusive culture.I told Cam and Mitch from day one that this wasnt my team or our team as seniors.

It has to be everyones team and everyone has to buy in, Rehnstrom said.

I want every player on the team to feel like they can have input.Related ArticlesSports | Navy football opens 2025 season with five home games in the first seven weeksSports | Emily Messinese leads as No.

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Fisher, Rehnstrom and Summers are the remnants of a 2021 recruiting class that numbered seven members.As classmates gradually fell by the wayside, those three have remained steadfastly committed to the program through thick and thin.There are going to be ups and downs, good days and bad.

You just have to stay the course, keep your head down and keep working hard, Fischer said.Rehnstrom is the only one of the three seniors playing a pivotal role for Navy at this point in the season.

He is the backup behind sophomore Jordan Pennick at wing guard and is averaging almost 13 minutes per game.Known as a real marksman from long distance, Rehnstrom ranks second on the squad with 37 made 3-pointers.

He made four triples and scored a season-high 14 points at Virginia Tech and recently crammed 11 points into 16 minutes of action against Lehigh, going 3-for-3 from beyond the arc.Lysander is an outstanding perimeter shooter.

Thats his specialty.

Youve got to guard him out at the 3-point line because hes a flamethrower, Navy coach Ed DeChellis said.

Ly comes off the bench and knows his role.

Hes a solid defender and can knock down open shots.Fischer had been part of the rotation as a top frontcourt reserve, usually giving starting center Aidan Kehoe a periodic breather.

However, his minutes have dwindled in the second half of the Patriot League campaign and the Loyola Blakefield product has not played at all since the Army game on Feb.

15.DeChellis said its simply a case of junior forward Mike Woods playing better basketball and showing he deserved more action.

Woods has scored in double digits in three straight games.Woods has stepped up big-time and taken Fischers minutes.

Its nothing that Mitch has done wrong, DeChellis said.For his part, Fischer has been unfazed by the reduced role and worked hard to find other ways to contribute.

Earlier this week, the 6-foot-7, 222-pound Baltimore County resident volunteered to portray American forward Matt Rogers in practice.

Fischer has defended Rogers several times and knows his game.Thats the type of person Mitch is: just very unselfish and always about the team first, DeChellis said.

Hes got no ego and is willing to do whatever it takes to help the team win.Fischer had a larger role last season as he made 26 starts and averaged almost 18 minutes per game.

He posted career-highs with 26 points and seven rebounds against Lehigh.

DeChellis knows he can count on the experienced veteran if necessary.Mitch is always prepared to play.

If a situation arises where we need to put him in the game hell be ready to go, DeChellis said.Summers suffered a career-ending injury in September, but has remained with the program as a student coach.

He attends practice daily and works closely with the younger players.Its a tough finish to a promising career that saw Summers make a combined 17 starts as a sophomore and junior, reaching double digits for scoring a total of five games.

He is the younger brother of former Navy standout Greg Summers and started on senior day as a plebe so the two could be in the lineup together.DeChellis said all three seniors have been a pleasure to coach.Theyre all great young men and have been unbelievable representatives of our program on campus and in the community.

They will all be successful in their military careers, DeChellis said.

They have really embraced everything about the Naval Academy and been model citizens in terms of the academic and military aspects.If past history holds, DeChellis will have Fischer and Rehnstrom in the starting lineup on Saturday afternoon.

They, along with Summers, will be introduced during a pregame ceremony and walk onto the court flanked by family members.Navys Lysander Rehnstrom drives to the basket during a game against Army on Feb.

15.

Rehnstrom is one of three seniors who will be honored before their final home game Saturday against Loyola Maryland.

(Paul W.

Gillespie/Staff)Fischer said its surreal that senior day has already arrived and Rehnstrom agreed, saying four years have gone by quickly.It hasnt really hit me yet.

Im trying not to think too much about the end because I want to keep playing college basketball for as long as possible, Rehnstrom said.

I will always look back on this as the greatest accomplishment of my life.

I somehow managed to achieve the goal I set as a little kid.

Ill remember playing in a Navy uniform very fondlyRehnstrom has received Marine Corps as a service selection, while Fischer and Summers are joining the aviation community.

Fischer heads to Air Station Pensacola for flight school in October and hopes to eventually fly the P-8 Poseidon.At the beginning of the season, Rehnstrom used his platform as captain to establish a vision for how this Navy team would go about business.

He talked about how all three seniors truly love basketball and wanted all the underclassmen to share that spirit.I think the legacy we want to leave is that we all have a real passion for the game and an appreciation for being college basketball players, he said..

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