NORTON SHORES – Some things are well worth waiting for, no matter how frustrating the delay.
Western Michigan Christian basketball fans certainly understand that. For the past four years they’ve been waiting and wondering what Owen Varnado would be capable of by the time he was a senior, after watching him grow and develop his talent for three promising seasons.
Varnado himself was definitely pumped about the approach of his grand finale season, after spending time last summer working out with his cousin, Boston Celtics standout guard Jaylen Brown.
Unfortunately the show was delayed a bit, because Varnado broke his collarbone in the Warriors’ final preseason scrimmage in November and wasn’t able to return until January. His absence was extra conspicuous, because his team went 0-5 without its star in the lineup.
But his return has more than lived up to expectations.
[1]The high point so far came on Friday night, when Varnado snagged a rebound of a missed shot and nailed a putback at the buzzer, giving Western Michigan Christian a thrilling 51-50 victory over Muskegon Heights in a Lakes 8 Conference game.
“That’s the first one I’ve had in my high school career,” Varnado said about the buzzer-beating winning basket. “It was an amazing atmosphere against a really good team. I was on cloud 9 last night, but we play again today against another good team, Spring Lake, so I can’t dwell on it for too long.”
Varnado finished with an impressive double-double in the game, with 22 points and 19 rebounds, which is consistent with the way he’s been playing since his return.
He entered the game averaging an astonishing 30.7 points, 9.7 rebound, 3.7 assists and 2.7 blocks per game so far this season.
Most importantly, his play has brought new hope for the Warriors, who have won three games since his return and are now 3-7 on the season, which is a lot better than 0-5.
“It’s been great,” Varnado said. “I think I took for granted just being able to play games. Every single year I’ve had an injury, and I thought I’d get a full senior season. But this injury put things in perspective and showed that everything is limited.
[2]“It’s made me bring so much more energy. I have to play like it’s my last chance. I’ve tried to install that into our team, too, and we’ve played with so much more energy, and I’m glad to see that.”
Friday’s last-second game winner was a peaking moment for Varnado, following a period of gloom the injury and put his senior season on hold.
“I was devastated,” he said. “It was really hard for me to come to grips with it. I had worked so hard and was playing so good, but it felt like it all was falling apart for nothing.”
The key for Varnado was to quickly shake off the disappointment and adopt a positive attitude, for himself and his teammates.
“I had to keep positive,” he said. “I had to make sure my teammates stayed confident so that our season didn’t turn to nothing. I tried to keep a positive attitude. I’d go and rebound when I could and tried to stay engaged and involved.”
[3]By the time he was practicing again, his teammates were more than ready.
“When he came back, it elevated practice,” said Warriors head coach Kurt Gruppen. “He’s someone who’s always talking and getting after it. He makes practice flow and gets guys encouraged and excited.”
Of course success on the court is nothing new for Varnado. He put up great numbers through his first three years of varsity basketball, despite having to weave his way through a serious of injuries.
He’s been a Lakes 8 All-Conference selection for three years, and last season was named to the Division 3 BCAM’s Best list, which is the state basketball coach association’s All-State team.
But he expected to be significantly better in his senior year, after spending time and learning some important trade secrets from Brown, the NBA star in the family.
He had worked out with Brown several times in the past, and said the experiences have always been helpful.
“A lot of people ask me if there is pressure,” said Varnado about being related to the NBA star. “But basketball has always been a family thing and I enjoy doing it. I spent a week or two with him last summer training and I learned a lot of tips.
[4]“He spends an hour or two a day on just fundamentals. It’s just taking little things and realizing that you need to break things down to be better. I’ve taken that and put a lot into my shot, which is why I’ve been shooting better.”
Varnado is currently shooting 50 percent from three-point range and 84 percent from the free throw line.
“He’s really understood and put time into his perimeter shot,” Coach Gruppen said. “Not only has he put time in, but it’s paid off. He’s been a dedicated kid since his sophomore season and it’s showing.”
With his senior season now more than half over, one might expect Varnado to be mainly focused on padding his personal stats as he picks through his college options and makes decisions about his future.
But he says his focus is on the team, and helping the Warriors salvage a good season out of one that started on a really bad note.
After all, winning is the best thing about basketball, as the Warriors demonstrated in dramatic fashion on Friday night.
“It’s always nice to get recognition,” said the senior about being one of the top players in the area. “I’m glad to have that honor, but it’s less about me. I really just want this team to be successful. I want my teammates to feel like the spotlight isn’t on me but rather all of us.”
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