State basketball feature

Have at it, folks.

By JOHN LEMBO
Herald Staff Writer

The beatings occasionally came in stereo. On one end
of the court, Joel
Klingenberg, Bradenton Christian's reserve forward,
had his lanky frame pounded
by 6-foot-10 Division I prospect Ryan Bradley. On the
other, 6-foot-8 D.J. Magley,
whose nickname --- Diesel --- typically doesn't befit
someone with a tender touch,
battered Klingenberg with an array of elbows and
shoves.

Klingenberg often left the school's cozy gym with
purple blotches on his
collarbones and shoulders. He also left knowing if he
can hang with those guys, he
can hang with anyone.

JoJo Wood is a freshman, so the Panthers treat him
like one. During video
sessions, it's his job to stack and unstack chairs. Or
if coach David Magley asks
for a stool, Wood winds up getting him one.

But during Tuesday's Class 1A-

Region 3 semifinal at jam-packed Tampa Baptist, Wood
rose from his courtside
seat and calmly hit four of his first five 3-point
attempts.

Freshman?

When the Panthers, 28-1 and ranked fifth in Class 1A,
host Oldsmar Christian
(20-6) in a Region 3 Championship Game at 7 p.m.
today, Klingenberg and Wood
will be riding the bench.

Despite the bruises and clutch play, that's just where
the Panthers backers want
them. Klingenberg, a senior, Wood and junior Adam
Walker, who has been battling
a groin injury but is expected to play this evening,
give Bradenton Christian a
degree of depth typically unheard of in the Class 1A
ranks. The Panthers like to
press and love to run, and when the opponent begins to
peter out, Wood (29
games) and Klingenberg (28) front a corps that helps
keep Bradenton Christian
spry.

Such a support system has allowed Bradenton Christian
to craft a season that
has included a 16-0 start, a Bay Conference
championship and the program's first
district title in Coach Magley's six years. It's also
kept the starters fresh enough
that three of them --- Kevin Yoder, Chase Cofer and
Jeff Wehling --- are averaging
10 to 14 points a night.

"When (the reserves) come in, the level doesn't drop.
It's the same," said Cofer, a
senior guard. "When Joel comes in for D.J., he keeps
the intensity, he keeps us
going, gives us fresh legs. Same thing as JoJo --- he
comes in, and we need a big
shot, he's got fresh legs and knocks it down."

Few have downed more 3-pointers than Wood, a guard who
is fourth on the team
with 19. That's a fitting place for him, considering
he's the fourth freshman Coach
Magley has used regularly, putting Wood in a group
that includes Wehling, D.J.
Magley and Bradley, the last of whom took his game to
Wichita State.

Wood has worked his way into such company. He does 100
sit-ups and 100
push-ups a night, a regimen that has helped him lose
roughly 20 pounds, and works
on his shot six days a week, honing his game at BCS,
G.T. Bray or the hoop at his
house.

"I think JoJo's the best freshman I've had so far,"
Magley said. "He can be the
best shooter I've ever coached."

Talent aside, Wood had to battle some butterflies
early on. He spent most of last
season on the JV team, and even though he was called
up when the Panthers
reached the elite eight, Wood didn't see much varsity
time.

Now, he's out there having fun.

"Beginning of the year, I was a little nervous. I'm so
used to it now, it's nothing,"
Wood said. "I think that's a big thing, to back up
some of the best shooters in the
league. It feels pretty good."

Wood often spells Cofer or Yoder, while Walker comes
in for Wehling, and
Klingenberg checks in when D.J. or sophomore forward
Cole Hudson needs a rest.

Klingenberg, who is averaging roughly four points and
three rebounds a night, is
probably the happiest guy in the gym when D.J. takes a
seat. That way, he may
have a pain-free night.

"I've never seen a kid take more whoopings than Joel
has taken from D.J. this
year," David Magley said. "(D.J.) pushes, he shoves .
. . and Joel, last year, he
caught the ball (and) thought too much. Now, all of a
sudden, he catches it and
reacts, because he's used to D.J. pushing him."

The coach has marveled in Klingenberg's progress. A
Canadian, Klingenberg is more
accustomed to soccer and hockey and, unlike some of
his current teammates,
didn't grow up pumping jump shots.

Working with Magley and Bradley, while painful, has
molded Klingenberg into a
force.

"It's great going against them, because seriously,
they're some of the best
players I've ever played against," he said. "When I go
into a game, I'm ready, and I
think it's worth all those bumps and bruises."

Early in the season, David Magley's high school coach
came down from Indiana and
complimented the Panthers on their depth, adding
rosters don't run so deep even
in the basketball-rich Hoosier State.

After 28 wins in 29 games, David Magley agrees.

"I've been asked if this is my best team," he said. "I
can't say that, but I can say
they're my deepest team."