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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Waiting his turn pays off

Jurich stars as senior after three seasons as role player

Calvin Jurich is averaging 11.9 points and a team-leading 7.8 rebounds per game for the 11-2 Pirates.Photo courtesy Whitworth University (Photo courtesy Whitworth University / The Spokesman-Review)

There is a slight sense of impatience seeping out of the laid-back nature of easy-going Calvin Jurich.

It has nothing to do with his life thus far.

He was perfectly content to play basketball at Whitworth after his stellar career at University High School, and he was perfectly content to wait for his turn to lead the Pirates.

And it’s not as if he’s in a hurry for his breakthrough senior season to end, not when the 24th-ranked Pirates are winning big and he can say, “Being a senior, now I can be one of those go-to guys I was going to the past three years.”

But ask the 6-foot-6 post what he is going to do after receiving his marketing degree in May and there is no hesitation.

“Get out of Spokane,” Jurich said, even prompting a laugh from coach Jim Hayford, who listened in while Jurich explained his reasons for attending Whitworth.

“Growing up in Spokane it was important to stay close to my family,” Jurich said. “My sister was still in high school and I wanted to follow her, too. I always knew Whitworth had a solid program and the school, academically, was nationally ranked. Combine those two and it was kind of a no-brainer.”

After finishing his high school career as the All-Greater Spokane League MVP in 2005, Jurich settled into a role as a role player for the Pirates.

“Coming in, I knew they had a solid team coming back,” he said. “I took the opportunity to learn from them, figure out the coach and what he wanted. My first three years my role was work hard, rebound, defend” – “foul,” Hayford injected – “and get the ball to the conference MVP player. That worked.

“It takes a certain personality. I have gone through a lot of teammates that were here one or two years and were gone. (Now) I know the offense like the back of my hand. The game is a lot slower. I can read defense. I can go through the game with minimal mistakes.”

The Pirates won at least 20 games the previous three seasons, going 65-18 overall, and won two league titles. They are off to an 11-2 start (3-1 in league) with Jurich averaging 11.9 points and a team-high 7.8 rebounds. He is also second in assists (41) and first in steals (18), unusual for a center, and had 16 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists on Jan. 2.

“He’s been part of the playing rotation his whole career,” Hayford said. “He’s a great leader, he’s been there before. Now he’s really blossoming into his new role. … Now it’s his turn to be a player and he’s really come into his own.

“It’s neat to watch. You always tell your guys if they work hard and stay disciplined great things will happen.”

Jurich picked up his team-first attitude at home. Steve and Brenda came from the West Side to run cross country and play volleyball, respectively, at Eastern Washington.

“My dad coached me until I got into high school,” Jurich said. “I learned fundamentals, how to play the game, the sportsmanship from him. He was always a hard-working, never-give-up, team-first, unselfish guy. I took that role from him.”

Hayford said Jurich’s role now is leadership and an inside presence.

“We’re calling him 6-6 this year, but he has the elbows of a 7-footer,” he said. “He’s put on a good 20 pounds of muscle over his career. … He can hold his own with taller guys because of his strength.”

Jurich is convinced this team, with a little less star power than in previous years, can accomplish more.

“We’ve had some great teams in the past,” he said, listing the previous three league MVPs, Lance Pecht, Bryan Williams and Ryan Symes. “What stands out about this one is we’re so well balanced. This time we have five guys on the court that can all score. There are big Nate (Montgomery, 6-6) and me inside, outside shooters Bo (Gregg), David (Riley) and Ross (Nakamura), and a solid bench.

“We played a good non-conference schedule. I really think having this balanced team, with the defense, will pay off in the postseason. We can definitely take that next step.”

Only then will it be time to get away.

“I’ve been fortunate to travel throughout the United States with this team,” Jurich said. “There are so many beautiful places out there. I want to get out there and travel. This is a great place to settle down, but I don’t want to say I only spent my whole life here.”