(Oakland) — Riverside junior Grady Jeppesen missed the start of the basketball season with injury but made up for lost time with an impressive series of games.
Jeppesen has played in 13 of the Bulldogs’ (5-11) 16 games this year and dropped 22.0 points per game this season. His recent mastery earned him Jim Hughes Real Estate KMAland Athlete of the Week honors.
Last week, Jeppesen scored 27.6 points per game and shot 50% from the field in losses to Underwood and Missouri Valley. Jeppesen eclipsed his career 1,000 points in the game against Missouri Valley.
“Not a lot of people in Riverside have done that,” Jeppesen said. “My teammates opened me up and gave me confidence. It’s exciting. I’m just scratching the edge of what I can do.”
Jeppesen continued his strong season Tuesday night with a 34-point explosion in the Bulldogs’ win over Audubon. Jeppesen got going this season after missing the start due to a stress fracture in his back sustained during football season.
“It was interesting to just jump right into the games without practicing,” Jeppesen said. “Once the Christmas holidays came around, I got my confidence back.”
Missing the start of the season hit Jeppesen hard.
“It was difficult,” he said. “But the coaches and doctors pushed me back. They were more willing to follow the rules than I was. I’ve had aches and pains, but I’ve been ready to play.”
Jeppesen hasn’t missed a beat in his comeback by outlining the opposing team’s best defensive strategy.
“I’m trying to get easier shots,” he said. “A lot of teams have run box-and-one, face-guarded or stripe-and-two. When I get looks, I take them. I feel like I’m better at getting to the rim, shooting 3s and creating for myself. I’ve gotten better at midrange because teams have played me differently.”
Jeppesen has done more than just get cubes. He is averaging 4.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.4 steals per game.
“I feel like I make open shots for my teammates with my ability to get to the rim,” he said. “Coach (Nick) Kroon has really pushed the rebounds, so I feel like I’ve really improved in that area.”
The Bulldogs have struggled in close games, going 1-5 in games decided by 10 points or less. Jeppesen feels they can turn that around when the regular season wraps up.
“We’ve put a lot of emphasis on it,” he said. “We have to close out games. If we play good defense, the offense has problems. Good offense, and the defense has problems. We like our chances against anyone if we can put together four quarters.”
Riverside returns Friday at home against East Mills on KMA 960 and on KMAX-Stream. Click below to listen to the full interview with Jeppesen.
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