Amaru is one to watch

The proverbial pot of gold is stationed at the end of the roundball rainbow and 6-foot-8 Ryan Amaru, of the Nor Cal Warriors and Willows High, understands he needs to keep working to achieve success.

"I never played on an actual team until my freshman season," Amaru explained. "I knew little then but recognized how much I needed to work."

A First Team All Conference Sacramento Valley League selection in 2012, the 210-pound  Amaru is what artists label their current efforts: a work-in-progress. But he boasts one real distinction -- he stands 80 inches tall and he might not be done sprouting up as his father checks in at 6-foot-9.

He was a 6-foot-6 frosh, having grown six inches in eighth grade, a period of time in which his parents must have labeled The Year Our Budget For Clothing Exploded.

This coming season, Amaru will be the team leader for Willows High, home of the Honkers. Willows is a town of 6,200 about 85 miles north of Sacramento and is the county seat of Glenn County.

"I'm one of three seniors and I have the most experience," he said. Amaru averaged 12.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks as a junior on an 18-8, 9-1 team.

But it has been his time with Coach John Florance's Nor Cal Warriors that has benefited Amaru the most.

The Warriors were involved in tournament play in Sacramento, San Francisco, Anaheim and Las Vegas this spring and summer and that produced Amaru's best moment on the court: "In Sacramento, we lost a player and we were down to six guys. We kept playing each game close but not winning. One game, were were one point behind near the end and a teammate missed a free throw and I ended up getting the rebound and scored the game winner."

Florance, also an assistant coach at Sacramento City College, says Amaru " is a great kid who is very coachable and grew a lot this summer. It will take time but he has a big upside, there's a lot left in him."

Regarding skills, Florance described his big as a pick and pop shooter who can hit the high post jumper and can also block shots."

Amaru concurs" "making a move and shooting is my best skill."

Florance added, "Ryan needs to play low-to-high but he certainly showed me something in a game against the Organized Chaos team out of Fresno. They had a 6-foot-4 physical dunker and I said 'don't let that kid kick your butt' and Ryan didn't back down." So much so that, during the game, the referees sent both players to the bench for five minutes as a way of cooling matters down.

Amaru described his academics as "lately pretty good," adding that he is working with a tutor.

He is looking to major in criminal justice with the desire to become a federal marshal. "I come from a family of police officers."