Claus is one to watch way up north

Sometimes the Redwood Curtain can act like its Iron brethren in preventing news or word from getting out. Let's tear it down, or in this case, let Justin Claus do the honors.

The 6-foot 2014 point out of Fortuna High and the Humboldt Wild club team is one of those unknown gems. Recruiters in-season are not known to climb into their cars and jam on up to Humboldt County looking for prospects and actually don't make that trip in spring or summer either.

So it's a matter of the talent up there making the most of any display opportunities elsewhere.

Claus did just that in the recent Bay Area Memorial Day Classic held at City College of San Francisco. His play prompted this post-event analysis: "Point guard that is deadly from beyond the arc, can hit the 3 on catch and shoot or off the dribble with accuracy. Above average ball defender, doesn't get broken down by the dribble often. When his team is down he plays with heightened sense of urgency."

This despite a fracture in his right hand. "I broke my hand a week before the tournament. I think I cracked a metacarpal in practice," Claus recalled. "We played seven games in the tournament and it got banged up a lot" so now he's wearing a cast on his hand for six weeks.

Another strong showing in the Bay Area was in a season-ending 67-57 loss to Half Moon Bay on March 16. Claus totaled 18 points, including four three-pointers. This in a month in which the fatigued Huskies from up north traveled over 2,100 miles throughout the state for various matchups.

Asked what his best basketball skills are, Claus offered, "Seeing the court and getting the offense running."

He elaborated about the origin of those strengths: "I started playing when I was very young and, being a smaller player, point guard was my role. I think it [the vision] comes with experience."

Jason Hodges, a Humboldt Wild coach who also heads the boys basketball program at Arcata High, has witnessed Claus in action plenty of times.

"Justin is a great kid with a lack of exposure. He's a very good shooter who doesn't need 15 or 20 points to feel good because he understands the position. He runs a team, playing on smarts and instinct which is something very hard to teach a point guard."

Earlier, he also participated in football -- "up until my freshman year" --  as his father played on the gridiron for Humboldt State. Claus also ran cross country "but the latter was to keep me in shape for basketball."

So for some time now it has been a focus on hoops.

A query about the advances he sees in his game since his beginning high school, Claus said, "As a freshman on varsity, I was used to doing a lot of scoring (his eighth grade class had 30 something students). But I knew I couldn't be as prolific a scorer so I switched into being a point guard type player. Also, my defense in eighth grade was bad but it's something I take pride in now."

Two moments stand out in his mind as basketball highlights. "My senior year, we went undefeated and won league. Then the local Niclai playoffs began, held at Humboldt State, and we finally won it."

The other was "making it further in the state playoffs than ever before. We made it to the second round." Fortuna took down Natomas High 75-30 before running into Half Moon Bay.

Claus sports a 3.0 grade point average and it looks like he'll be attending College of the Redwoods and playing for Coach Justin Mora in the 2013-14 season. He would prefer to stay in California for the next level but "I'm open to anything that's a good fit."

As for a major, two areas currently stand out: international business and psychology.

Okay, consider that curtain removed.