August 4, 2010
Don’t overlook Gruber
Conventional wisdom is an two-faced overlord, simultaneously comforting yet duplicitous. It trumpets the status quo, always looking to blot out any beginnings of different thinking or acting. But change, even at an glacial pace, is inevitable. Santa Cruz County, minus a rather large blip a few years back, is labeled a basketball backwater for Division I recruiters. The area won’t shed its hoops skip-over territory label anytime soon but Harbor High’s Colin Gruber is doing his best to bring his home territory back to the itinerary of college coaches.
As a junior last season, the multi-faceted Gruber upped his scoring average to 21.4 points per game.while also contributing 3.6 steals and 2.9 assists and blocking 2.9 shots a contest -- all while measuring 6-foot-3. His production earned him co-Santa Cruz County Athletic League (SCCAL) Player of the Year honors.
His coach at Harbor High is his father, Mike Gruber, a class of 1970 star athlete at nearby Aptos High who has helmed the Pirates for 20+ years. Mike played at and graduated from Gonzaga. All DNA influence aside, the elder Gruber speaks genuinely about his son: "Colin’s probably one of the most fundamentally sound guys around and surprisingly more athletic than you think -- he’ll finish by flushing in traffic. He’s an outstanding passer and has great shooting range. Plus, his 6-foot-7 wingspan plays into his number of steals he gets and we don’t press."
Additionally, there’s another aspect to the younger Gruber’s game both noteworthy and compelling. That is, the ability to envision what is going to happen on the court before it takes place. Both his steals and high number of shotblocks are the result.
Here’s how the senior-to-be explains his prowess: "By playing a lot, you see habits and how a play is developing. It’s reading situations and anticipating," not crediting himself for developing this attribute while so many others -- who play just as much -- fail to do so.
When asked, the younger Gruber easily identifies his top talent. "It’s definitely shooting," he offered while adding blocking shots as a second highly-ranked skill.
And Gruber readily acknowledges what he is working on to improve. "It’s consistently driving to the hoop and finishing harder."
Despite the geographical location of Gruber’s roundball accomplishments, recruiters have found their way to him. The list of suitors includes Pacific, Cal Poly, Santa Clara, Utah State, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Columbia. He currently has no favorites, saying his ultimate choice "will be where I fit in the most." Asked about the position college coaches are talking of playing him, Gruber said, "it seems most likely to be as a shooting guard."
Besides what he displays on the court, his classroom academics are in order, thus making it a smooth passage for those interested in landing him.
Another intriguing aspect is that Gruber has a duality of roles he plays, depending on which team’s jersey he is wearing. "At Harbor, I take over when we need it," he explained, "but with the Cagers [his club basketball team, the Central Coast Cagers], we have a lot of good players and it’s easier to blend into the flow of the game."
Having already had his proverbial turn in the barrel, the elder Gruber has a sage piece of advice for his son but appropriate for so many: "Enjoy all this because you’ll never have as much fun as right now. It’s rewarding but different at the other levels."
Colin Gruber and fun have definitely partnered up this spring and summer -- not something that can be said for those assigned to defend him.