Checking in on Monterey Peninsula College

Monterey Peninsula College is 9-6 overall and has done so minus any sort of inside power player. Instead, Coach Blake Spiering is playing small ball, utilizing the strengths of his Lobos: quickness and shooting ability.

So much so that Deondre (Sacred Heart Cathedral High) Otis at 6-foot-1 is the leading rebounder for MPC at 4.6 a game. Combine his also tops on the team 16.1 points and 5.8 assists each time out while shooting 54%, 33% and 61% and he's easily the most critical player on the squad.

Still not convinced? Try 76 assists to 23 turnovers for the sophomore, a 3.3 ratio that is excellent, especially so with him being called on to do so much.

Isaac (Independence High) Clark is at 15.2 points per game and shooting 48%, 35% and 65% respectively. He's adding 3.4 boards as well as 2.3 assists each outing.

 6-foot-5 teammate Jaskam "Jazz" Baskwa, out of Irvington (Fremont) High, is providing 13.1 points and 4.1 boards as well.

As a team, the Lobos are shooting an average of 49% -- a remarkable number considering the dearth of inside shots MPC takes each game.