|
When your best player has an off-shooting night and your can still end another team's eight-game winning streak, like Otsego did Friday to South Haven, 74-64, you're a pretty good team. Otsego is that, now 12-1. Of course it helps when that best player is a point guard, and 6-foot-1 sophomore Jared Klein is just that, one of the elite in Michigan's 2012 class. Jared Klein scored 12, but 6-1 junior Carl Nord had 23 points and 6-5 senior Derek Klein scored 21 for the Bulldogs.
There was approximately zero defense plalyed in the first quarter, which ended with South Haven leading 26-19 on a three-quarters court shot by 5-11 senior Michael Walker. Otsego went into a zone after that, and the Ram's shot selection suffered. Walker would have three other long balls though not for a lack of trying. The volume shooter finished with 29 points. When he gets a head of steam driving to his right, Walker is very tough to stop. With various defenders awaiting Jared Klein's penetration, Nord feasted. The undersized post player just seemed to have a knack for being in the right spot, and finishes efficiently. Derek Klein, Jared's brother who is mulling various NAIA opportunities, proved a matchup dilemma for South Haven. He shot over its defense with ease, including two three-pointers, and man-handled the Rams on the defensive glass. That he rebounded that well out of a zone is especially impressive. Even wiith Jared Klein, who scored 29 points in these teams' first meeting, somewhat stymied, then slowed with foul trouble in the fourth quarter, it was easy to see his gifts. South Haven is pretty athletic on the perimeter, but a couple times when Klein pushed the ball he had a gear none of their guards possessesd. He has a whole bunch of speeds, crossovers and spin moves to get into the lane, and it is eas yto see how his scoring numbers have ballooned this season thanks to the introduction of that pull-up jumper. |
