A Consistent Star : Josh Greer Has Become the Key to Esperanza’s Basketball Success

In street clothes, Josh Greer doesn’t look like a force. Tall, yes. Athletic, that too. But not a force.

That all changes when Greer puts on a basketball uniform.

He becomes Esperanza’s whirlwind--the energy behind the Aztecs’ ascent to third in the county sportswriters’ poll and first in the Sunset League standings.

And he’s having fun being the focal point of the Aztecs’ attack.

“I felt there was more pressure on me last year,” Greer said. “This year, I don’t feel the stress of having to put up the numbers. We have great players in Lohnnie Tape and Matt Munson. They have improved so much over the past year. When I got hurt [last season], they stepped up so much.”

Still, Greer, a senior, is the difference between Esperanza being a good team and an excellent one.

His burly, 6-foot-7, 220-pound body can’t hide the strength. But it does disguise the quickness that often surprises taller opponents. His power makes him a demon on the boards. Greer, 17, began the week with 229 rebounds, the county’s third highest total.

What Esperanza Coach Mark Hill likes most about Greer is his consistency. This season, he is averaging 20.8 points and 10.5 rebounds; last year, it was 19.5 and 10.5. He is just as proficient at slipping outside and swishing a three-pointer as he is bullying his way inside the lane and slamming home a basket.

“If you had seen him four years ago, you would not believe the improvement,” Hill said. “Before he was just a post player, but he lost weight and got stronger and quicker. His ballhandling, shooting, passing . . . they were poor as a freshman, but he’s developed them. He is now an inside and outside player.”

Even though Greer’s junior season was cut short by a broken foot, Hill still believes Greer should have been a first-team all-league selection. “In the all-league meeting, some coaches didn’t vote for him, and I felt it was unfair,” Hill said. “He was on the second team. Driving back [home], I kept thinking, how do I explain it to him. But when I told him, he said, ‘That’s all right coach, they’ll pay for it next year.’

“No question he’s the player of the year in the league this year.”

Greer’s senior season has left many good impressions on county opponents, none more so than Mater Dei Coach Gary McKnight. The Monarchs had a hard time containing Greer, who had 12 points and 12 rebounds, as they edged Esperanza, 44-41, in the Orange Holiday Classic.

“I saw him during the summer and he was improved from then,” McKnight said. “We play some teams, and you can tell the stats of some of their players are not always accurate. But not with Greer. He had a good game against us. Esperanza really battled us.”

Greer signed a letter of intent in November to attend St. Mary’s, choosing the Northern California school over Long Beach State and Wyoming, among others.

“I had other offers but I really liked the coaches and players there,” he said. “I’m very happy.”

He’s also glad he has concentrated on basketball. As a freshman, he participated in spring football and the Esperanza coaches liked his size. “But I felt I didn’t get the same enjoyment from it as I did basketball,” Greer said.

After shoring up his weaknesses, Greer has had opponents, particularly Sunset League foes, wishing he had taken up another sport.

“He’s difficult and challenging because he is a complete player,” Los Alamitos Coach Steve Brooks said. “He’s almost become a better perimeter shooter. His quickness and size causes lots of problems defensively.

“You try not to let him go crazy. He’s going to get his points. You try not to let him have the big game.”

Greer had one Wednesday, scoring 29 points in a 77-69 victory over Los Alamitos. He scored a season-high 31 Jan. 17 against Fountain Valley.

What Greer wants to see from himself and his teammates is a big finish. He hasn’t been on a team that has advanced beyond the second round of the playoffs. If the Aztecs are to go further this season, he says they need to get better, despite their 20-3 record.

“We’re still not quite jelling as a team,” Greer said. “Sometimes we see openings or weaknesses and don’t quite realize what they are.

“Once we do, I don’t think there’s a team that can stop us. We have so many weapons.”