Former San Benito standout Kyle Sharp returns with University of
Montana hoops; set to face Santa Clara tomorrow night
He’s back!
Kyle Sharp, the pride and joy of Hollister basketball, has returned to the Bay Area and can’t wait to spend Christmas weekend in his hometown.
But first things first. This begins as a business trip for Sharp, now a freshman on the University of Montana’s men’s basketball team. With the Grizzlies set for their road match against Santa Clara University tomorrow night, Sharp is thrilled that he gets to play, in effect, a ‘home’ game.
“Being able to get back into California … I’m just excited I get to play in front of people that have supported me all along,” said Sharp, a 6-foot-7, 220-pound forward.
Those who travel to Santa Clara’s Leavey Center for tomorrow’s 7:00 contest or those who see Sharp around Hollister over the weekend will notice a bounce in his step. After all, he’s living his dream.
“It’s been one of those things I’ve always dreamed of,” said Sharp of playing college hoops. “We just come out and play basketball every day. I always wanted to be a part of a really good team and that’s what I’m on right now.”
But the giant step from high school competition to Division I ball has not been without its challenges.
After leading San Benito to back-to-back Central Coast Section semifinal appearances in 2004 and 2005, averaging 29.6 points and 10.5 rebounds as a senior, Sharp has had to adjust to being the low man on the totem pole.
“As a freshman, I know I have a lot to learn,” said Sharp, who has played in eight of the Grizzlies’ ten games, earning two starts. “The speed of the game and just the whole atmosphere of college basketball is intense. It’s kind of overwhelming at first. Because I’m a freshman, I’m just trying to work for playing time. In practice, I’m trying to get myself better, but I’m also trying to get our starters better.
“It’s been hard. I’m used to being in the game all the time, but in college, I’m not going to be asked to do the same things. I’m just going to play my minutes and hope it helps.”
During Montana’s 9-1 start to the season, Sharp has played nearly 13 minutes per contest, posting averages of 4.5 points and 3.8 rebounds. Against Western Montana on Dec. 14, Sharp enjoyed his best overall performance, scoring seven points and pulling down a season-high eight rebounds, as the host Grizzlies won 110-71.
“He’s getting more and more comfortable all the time,” said Montana head coach Larry Krystkowiak. “Kyle’s had an awful lot of things thrown at him. He was kind of thrust into the fire early in the season with some injuries we had.”
Asked to assess what Sharp brings to his team, Krystkowiak said, “He’s intense, he gets ready for ballgames and he competes. He has a knack for getting his hands on loose balls. He’s providing us a spark on the glass.”
David Kaplansky, the former San Benito head coach, has enjoyed watching his star pupil tackle the challenge of playing at the next level and is eager to see Sharp in person against Santa Clara.
“He’s still continuing his improvement,” said Kaplansky, who has spoken with Sharp over the phone multiple times this fall. “The minutes and the opportunities he’s getting as a freshman … it’s exciting. It’s neat to see him develop. I think he can only get better.”
On and off the court, Sharp’s transition to college was aided by the presence of two other freshmen that hail from the Bay Area–Santa Cruz residents Austin Swift and Eric Van Vliet. After playing AAU ball together the previous two years, the three freshmen remain close (“It’s like having two best friends,” said Sharp) and are a part of a camaraderie among Grizzlies’ players that Sharp noted as among the best parts of college life.
“It seems like all of us together, we call each other just unconsciously. ‘Oh, let’s go see a movie,'” said Sharp. “And then it’s like, ‘I’ll call him, and him, and him, and you call him, and him and him.'”
The Grizzlies are in sync on the court as well. After suffering a season-opening loss at Boise State, Montana has run off nine consecutive wins, including a home victory over Stanford. Though the win over the Cardinal was one of the two games in which he didn’t get off the bench, Sharp called the game “my favorite moment, basketball-wise.”
“We had about 7,000 people in our stadium and it was rolling,” said Sharp of the Grizzlies’ 88-69 victory on Dec. 2. “It was the most exciting game I’ve been a part of. Even though I wasn’t playing, the whole crowd was excited, the bench was excited.”
With an estimated 200 of his friends and family expected to attend the game at Santa Clara, Sharp knows the Stanford game might have some serious competition on his list of top memories for the season.
“I think I’m going to be really excited before the game, really pumped,” said Sharp, “but then plan to get focused. I’m hoping for a win, obviously. I’m also hoping I can get in, play a little bit, help our team out.”
Kaplansky, the ‘Balers’ former head coach, said Sharp’s triumphant return to the Bay Area is a must-see event for the Hollister community.
“It gives the opportunity for Kyle’s friends, family, teachers, coaches–all the people who supported him–to see how he’s blossomed at Montana,” said Kaplansky.
And, as a former player at San Diego State who returned to play in front of his hometown fans, Kaplansky knows what a special night tomorrow will be for Sharp.
“When you come home … it’s a great feeling for the athlete,” said Kaplansky. “You get real excited as a player. It’s great for Kyle.”
