Document text
69 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, March 6, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend February 4, 2005 A more polished threat Hard work has turned St. Mary’s Richie Kaimie into a well-rounded player for the top-ranked Crusaders this season By KEVIN GOFF Mail Tribune Richie Kaimie isn’t one to shy away from a good challenge. And the St. Mary’s junior is hitting each item on the check list. Karate? He earned a black belt at age 10. Basketball? Kaimie just scored a career-high 32 points and is the best defender for the top-ranked St. Mary’s boys team. Advertisement What’s left on the list? A Class 2A state title. The last item on the list may come down the road, but for now Kaimie is relishing his role for the 15-1 Crusaders. "We were underdogs last year," says Kaimie of his team’s third-place finish at state. "Nobody expected a lot out of us. I think we kinda shocked ourselves, too." At 5-foot-10, Kaimie typically gets the toughest defensive assignment — even if it entails guarding opponents up to six inches taller. "Richie always comes to play," says first-year Crusader coach Rick Jackson, whose team is 9-0 in the Southern Cascade League. "I think defense is played with your heart, and he has plenty of that. The kid is just intense." One of Kaimie’s biggest challenges came Jan. 25 against then-No. 10 Bonanza and reigning SCL player of the year Mike Nieraeth. St. Mary’s won the game, 62-45, and Kaimie held the 6-2 Nieraeth to just 11 points. "I enjoy playing defense," says Kaimie. "I take it as a personal matchup. "I always get the best guy every night, and I enjoy frustrating people." Adds Jackson: "He doesn’t get the big number of steals because he’s right up in the guy’s face. Richie works his fanny off from the opening tip until the buzzer." While Kaimie has been a stout defender, he only rounded into a major offensive threat this season. Before Thursday’s victory over Glendale, Kaimie was averaging just under 10 points per game on 54 percent shooting (52-for-97) to go with a team-high 33 offensive boards. "It’s not like he has a 40-inch vertical jump," says Jackson. "(Offensive rebounds) just shows his tenacity." The biggest turnaround in Kaimie’s game came on the perimeter. Last season, he primarily got his points driving the ball to the basket and finishing on the fast break. But this year Kaimie’s 3-point shot — he’s hit 7 of 17 — has made him into a more polished threat. "I have a lot more confidence in my shot this year," says Kaimie, who became more of an offensive threat during the summer league. "I wasn’t where I should have been last year. I still think I can get better this year, too, but I’m happy where I’m at." Kaimie’s new-found offense has also taken a little pressure off point guard Austin Grant and 6-8 post Garrett Fiddler. After a strong sophomore campaign, teams have adjusted their defenses to limiting Grant’s production this year. Yet, with Kaimie’s work ethic, the breakout was inevitable. "He showed all the things he could do during the summer," says Jackson. "Richie is more of a scorer than a shooter. The biggest thing is he developed a 15-foot jump shot." With five more SCL contests and five state-playoff wins standing between the Crusaders and the ultimate prize, Kaimie is confident his team can get it done. "We had high expectations for ourselves coming into this year," he says. "We’ve all matured as players throughout the summer and this year. "Obviously it won’t be easy, but I think we should win the state title as planned." Reach reporter Kevin Goff at 776-4483 or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg Slippers Student Loans afsa teleconferencing Memory Foam Mattress Advertisement s