MPC men's basketball

Monterey Peninsula (13-12, 7-5)
 No one felt the harsh transition from preps to college more last year than Chris Evans and Kyle Hieb.
 The pair struggled for playing time while adjusting to the speed and physicality of the game.
 While the confidence may have been shaken from getting minimal minutes, it also pushed the pair to enhance their games by strengthening their weaknesses, including the mental aspect.
 No longer overwhelmed, the game has slowed down for the two Seaside High graduates and former members of The Herald's All-County team.
  Evans, The Herald's Basketball Player of the Year in 2013, was averaging 8.5 points a game off the bench through the teams first five games, up from 1.8 last year.
 Hieb, whose scoring average is up nearly six points a game, gives the Lobos a sharpshooter on the outside, forcing teams to come out and defend beyond the 3-point arc.
 If there was one person who didn't seem fazed from the transition last year, it was Isaac Clark, who dropped in 14.9 points a game for the Lobos.
 While Clark has been nursing a sore ankle in the preseason, when he's on the court, he is an impact player, averaging nearly 17 points a game.
 As a team, MPC is averaging nearly five points a game more this year, despite not having Clark on the hardwood for two games.
 Sophomore Deondre Otis has elevated his game this season, dropping in 16 points a game, more than double his average from last season.
 So to has Jazz Bajwa, who has gone from 3.2 points a game to 12 points this season. A former three time all-leaguer at Irvington High in Fremont, the guard is a highlight reel when dunking.
  With no true center listed on the roster, MPC is going to run a three guard, two forward offense that will get up and down the court.
 A concern for the Lobos in the preseason was finishing games. The Lobos blew halftime leads in two of their first three losses.