Rocklin’s Mark Lavrenov among Sacramento-area high school big men providing most muscle

Mark Lavrenov is every bit of 6-foot-8 and 230-pounds.

He can fill a door frame and move a piano in the Rocklin High School music department without much effort if needed in a pinch. The junior is especially gifted in basketball, possessing a nice shooting and passing touch. But, really, this is a banger. In an era of wide-open play with more long-distance shooting than before, a trickle down from the NBA game, there forever remains a need for bulk and power in the paint. That’s Lavrenov’s game.

For a team to win a CIF Sac-Joaquin Section championship, history shows that it will take a bruiser to do much of the heavy lifting. Lavrenov provides that sort of thunder for the Placer County team aptly named the Thunder.

“I love my role, and I play it with passion and embrace it,” Lavrenov said on Friday night after muscling inside for 11 points and 12 rebounds in a 71-62 victory over Sheldon in a Division I quarterfinal. “It’s a day and age where the big man isn’t the focus in basketball like it was, but I love being a throwback.”

Lavrenov is a third-year varsity starter, having eclipsed 1,000 career points earlier this season. He has done his share to boost the team to a 28-2 season heading into Monday’s home semifinal contest against Lincoln of Stockton. The winner plays for the championship at 8 p.m. Wednesday at Golden 1 Center.

Lavrenov was always a big guy growing up, a 6-footer at the end of his seventh-grade year. Then he hit a growth spurt, adding five inches, and he shot up so fast that he felt it to his toes.

“My knees ached and I had to ice them, I was growing so much,” Lavrenov said. “I was confused at what was happening.”

Confusion soon turned to glee. What basketball grinder doesn’t want to be taller than the rest with the bulk to match the length. And this bonus of the rapid rise: “I got a whole new wardrobe out of it,” he said with a laugh.

Lavrenov appreciates the grit of Julius Randle, the 6-8, 250-pound tank for the NBA’s New York Knicks.

“I love his game, big and strong, a dog,” Lavrenov said. “I model my game after him. He’s a bull in a China shop.”

Bulk and boards are key

Longtime Rocklin coach Steve Taylor was delighted to have a promising 6-5 freshman earn his keep on the low block on varsity two years ago. As Lavrenov grew, so, too, did his team. The Thunder have gone from a team scrambling to produce a winning season to the thick of the section championship chase. A maturing team has grown into a potentially great one.

This Rocklin team ranks right up there with the state-finals Thunder team of 2009 that was led by 6-9 Bee Player of the Year Brendan Lane.

Taylor knows well the value of size in the paint, as every possession in the postseason is a crucial one, where up-close buckets are invaluable and where bulk, bangers and boards can set a tone.

“Mark’s developed so much over the past year and a half physically,” the coach said. “And then there’s his confidence. He’s normally the biggest, baddest guy on the court. He’s got that old-school mentality.”

Taylor added: “He’s more like a European player with skills and having a true big is not the norm anymore. Everybody wants to shoot the 3, but having Mark inside creates balances for us. That’s why we’ve been so hard to guard. Mark can clean everything up inside and score near the rim. He’s been as good as any big man I’ve seen this year.”

Lavrenov has an engaging personality, is a good student and lives for his school. He is all business, elbows, sweat and grit during games and then a fan favorite after them.

On Friday, still in uniform, Lavrenov was a magnet for well wishers. Students, parents of other players, faculty members, members of the community and people he had not yet met came up to praise his efforts beyond his seasonal averages of 15 points and 12 rebounds. His college recruiting stock is sure to grow as he is hoping to top out next season at 6-9 with the frame to add 20 more pounds.

“He’s the biggest guy on campus and he’s also one of the funniest guys,” Taylor said. “Everyone loves him. I know we sure do.”

Inderkum bigs

Some teams are fortunate to have one big man on their roster, maybe two.

The Division I Inderkum Tigers of Natomas hit the jackpot and have a lineup of them. This includes brothers Malachi and Malik Johnson, who tower at a long and lean 6-9 and 6-10, respectively. They’re 7-footers and then some if you consider their twin-look shock of bouncy high hair.

Also on the Inderkum front line is Taylen Goodman, a 6-7 junior who is a supreme defender, coach Fred Wilson said.

Terry Battenberg has been involved in Sacramento-area high school hoops as a respected player, coach and author on big man play since the 1960s. He said this Inderkum team is the tallest prep team he has ever seen.

Even the Inderkum guards are junkyard-dog tough. Freshman Siincere Hudson and senior Jeremiah Butler are 6-2 and rock solid. No one pushes those guys around. They lead Inderkum in scoring at 14.1 points per game, unafraid of pounding away inside.

Inderkum takes on top-seeded Modesto Christian in a Monday semifinal.

A peek at some other long and lean guys or downright bangers still alive in the section playoffs:

Shobal Barksdale, Sacramento

Bio: Forward | 6-foot-6 | Junior

Game: Opponents feel Barksdale’s 200-plus pounds on the boards and from his inside scoring as he provides the muscle for the fast-paced Dragons, the defending D-III section champions, averaging 11.7 points and 10.1 rebounds.

Cole Epperson, Jesuit

Bio: Forward | 6-9 | Junior

Game: The best shooting big in the region with terrific 3-point range, Epperson can bang inside, too, and he’ll need to crash the boards to keep the Big Red train rolling in Division II. Few teams play D as well as Jesuit.

Taylen Goodman, Inderkum

Bio: Forward | 6-8 | Junior

Game: A terrific defender, this is a good man, literally, to have during a championship quest, beyond his 13-point and 6-rebound average for the D-I Tigers.

Malachi Johnson, Inderkum

Bio: Center | 6-9 | Junior

Game: Johnson’s averages of 11.1 points and 5.5 rebounds don’t fully reflect his length and presence, but his thunder dunks sure do.

Malik Johnson, Inderkum

Bio: Forward | 6-10 | Senior

Game: Averaging 6.8 points and 4.5 rebounds, Johnson can be a load inside as a scorer or shot blocker. And he’s a highlight dunker.

Cameron Nero, Christian Brothers

Bio: Center | 6-5 | Junior

Game: The inside presence for the soaring Falcons in D-III, the 225-pound Nero leads his team in rebounding and toughness.

Elijah Neuhaus, Sacramento Waldorf

Bio: Center | 6-5 | Senior

Game: A late bloomer who is still blooming, Neuhaus is a relentless worker inside, particularly on the boards for the D-VI Waves and 700-game-winning coach Dean Stark.

Tallis Toure, West Park

Bio: Center | 6-10 | Senior

Game: Tall, talented and terrific is how area coaches describe Toure of the rising-power Panthers of Roseville. He averages 15 points and 10 rebounds for the D-III No. 2 seed.

Myles Wiggins, Capital Christian

Bio: Forward | 6-6 | Sophomore

Game: Growing by the week and eager to be great, Wiggins scores 11.3 points,. He can run the floor, thunder dunk and block shots for the No. 2-seed in the D-II field. He also has a bruiser teammate in 6-5 forward Jephte Tambala.

Jake Williams, Del Oro

Bio: Center | 6-5 | Senior

Game: The Golden Eagles’ second-leading scorer after star guard Caden Pinnick, Williams looks the part of interior muscle at 230 pounds. He scores 14.3 points and pulls in 8.1 rebounds for D-II Del Oro, having gone for 32 in a Friday win over St. Mary’s of Stockton.

Isaac Zmerzlikar, Union Mine

Bio: Center | 6-3 | Sophomore

Game: The shortest guy on this list is no pushover. He’s a rising recruit as a tight end football star and a 200-pounder who pounds away inside in hoops for averages of 13.3 points and 12.5 rebounds for the 28-2 Diamondbacks, seeded second in D-IV.