Caleb Jensen just does his job.
The 6-foot-4 Nevada power forward does not command the accolades of his all-state teammate John Nelson. He is not the person who gets his number called to set up a game-winning shot.
He does not make flashy passes, 25-foot 3-pointers or athletic dunks.
Instead, he does everything not easily seen in stat books or by casual observers that makes a team successful.
“I think he’s a really underrated big man,” Nelson said. “Underappreciated, but he does a lot of the dirty work for us, and he always finishes underneath.”
Jensen saw his first action two years ago as a sophomore when he got in four games for a Cub team that won the Heart of Iowa Conference and finished 19-5. Last year, Jensen got in 14 games and averaged 2.9 points and 1.6 rebounds for a Cub team that once again went 19-5.
Over the summer and even during football season, Jensen was busy improving his game. After getting a taste of what it is like to contribute to a successful team, Jensen was determined to make a major impact during his senior season.
“The weight room was a big thing,” Jensen said. “Of course, staying in the gym consistently — I showed up to all the open gyms, and I went to every single weight-lifting and speed and agility (training) that I could to improve my skills.”
Jensen began the year as a starter, but Nevada coach Tyler Struck later made the move to have him come off the bench. Jensen still gets the occasional start, but he has provided a huge energy boost as a reserve.
“I didn’t know my role at first, but I slowly started to accept my role of going from being a starter to coming off the bench, knowing what my team needs,” Jensen said. “Like tonight (versus Roland-Story) coming off the bench when I needed to, to get the big-game rebounds.”
Entering Nevada’s 37-31 victory over Roland-Story on Jan. 20, Jensen was averaging 6.1 points and 4.7 rebounds.
Those numbers are a big jump from his production a year ago. But they do not stand out in the box score the way Nelson, his younger brother George or 6-4 Nevada senior Drake Hinson’s numbers often do.
Instead, he is known for banging with opposing post players for rebound positioning, physically guarding tough opposing scorers in the low post, going after loose balls, taking charges, setting screens and always hustling down the court.
“It’s not a lot of glamorous work for Caleb,” Nelson said. “But he does it well and as best he can.”
But though the results of his work often do not show up in statistics, he has been an unbelievable asset for Nevada this season.
Nelson and Hinson are two of the most versatile players in the HOIC. They can both play multiple positions all over the court.
Having Jensen in there enables both players to get out on the perimeter more. That is a big reason why Struck sees so much value in him coming off the bench.
“Caleb allows us to move those pieces around the chessboard,” Struck said. “But he also understands when we want other pieces on the chessboard. I can’t talk enough about how he’s handled his role and the things we’ve asked him to do.”
Jensen’s value was on display during the victory over Roland-Story on Jan. 20.
Roland-Story post players Eli Van Hove and Gavin Griffith entered the game with a combined average of 17.6 points and 11.7 rebounds per game. They had combined for 11 points through the first three quarters against the Cubs.
Jensen came into the game late in the third quarter, and he was Nevada’s primary post defender throughout the fourth. He helped limit the Norse duo to two points over the final eight minutes.
That also allowed Struck to put Nelson on Roland-Story’s leading scorer, 6-3 wingman Luke Thoreson. Thoreson was also limited to two points in the fourth quarter as Roland-Story only put up four points as a team in the period.
“Tonight was a huge game for me,” Jensen said. “I knew I might not score a lot, but rebounds were a big thing because they’ve got a lot of good post players. I just accepted that I might not get a lot of points, but my goal was to get as many rebounds as I could.”
Nevada improved to 11-2 overall and 10-1 in the HOIC after completing a season sweep of Roland-Story. The Cubs now have a 2.5-game lead in the conference standings.
Jensen’s goal for the rest of the season is to help Nevada finish the job by clinching a conference title and then going on to make a run at the state tournament. He admits he has taken his share of bumps and bruises battling in the post and doing all the grunt work, but he said it will all be worth it if the Cubs can reach their goals.
“Work really hard on defense and still get really good at boxing out harder and crashing the boards,” Jensen said. “Be able to get those time-sensitive boards that are really needed in a close game.”
Joe Randleman covers high school sports for the Ames Tribune. Contact him at jrandleman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeRandleman
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Caleb Jensen has been an unsung hero for Nevada boys basketball
Reporting by Joe Randleman, Ames Tribune / Ames Tribune
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