LJ b BB: Ohara's role

The 6-foot Ohara looks to pass in
La Jolla's offense in the second quarter

against Mission Bay.

(Photo by Ed Piper, Jr.)

By Ed Piper, Jr.

Jacob Ohara has sparkled in a reserve role for La Jolla in the first two games of the young season.

The 6-foot junior, who is playing his first year on the varsity, didn't have any major baskets in the first half of a 58-42 win over Mission Bay Sat., Dec. 3. But he continued to play solid defense and fit into his role in Coach Paul Baranowski's team vision.

Jacob's older brother, Zac, was a starting guard for the Vikings half a dozen years ago. Their father, attending the season opener in the Hilltop Invitational Friday night, said big brother has finished his college studies and now works in accounting, with the goal of becoming a Certified Public Accountant.

But Jacob has shown himself over the summer and at this early point in the regular season to be a different kind of animal. While the older brother was brash, even cocky on the court, probably fueling some of his success under previous Coach Kamal Assaf, the younger brother is quiet, not given to many words around game time.

Ohara's calling card in spring and summer leagues was an ability to drive to the basket against pressure and finish over defenders at a high percentage. Many young players have a difficult time completing the task at the hoop. That hasn't been Jacob's issue.

When this fact was pointed out to Jacob's mother, Maggie, during spring league, she modestly deflected the praise, saying something like, "Oh, it's only been a few times."

In Tuesday's smashing win over a luckless host Hilltop team, Ohara scored on one of his patented drives just to give a glimpse of what the regular season undoubtedly holds for him on offense.

He's wiry, he's quick, and so far he shows he has the mental makeup to succeed in Baranowski's disciplined system. Each player has a role, and his task is to fulfill that role. There aren't any hotshots or loose cannons in the program.

Even Reed Farley's remarkable skills are provided a channel in which to be expressed, with the occasional, even frequent dunk not taking away from his job of setting up the offense and including teammates in sets.

You have Garrett Brown, a senior, garrulous, fun-loving, the jokester, even parlaying with the coach, on one end. And on the other, the quiet, unassuming junior, Jacob Ohara.

The number of years between Ohara brothers seems to provide a sufficient buffer to comparisons of the siblings, since most of Jacob's teammates aren't aware of his older brother's career at La Jolla.

Ohara's ball-handling skills will come into importance in upcoming tournament games, as opposing teams apply pressure in the backcourt and Farley, Quinn Rawdin, and Nick Hammel will be looking for assistance.

At one point late in the first half Saturday night, Baranowski gave Farley a rest and employed a lineup that included Ohara. This is something we will see from time-to-time during the 2016-17 season.