REED CITY — He’s one of only three Reed City basketball players back from last season, but junior Karsten Koopman is looking at making some key contributions for the Coyotes this season.
Koopman, who is 6 foot, 4 inches, played for the Coyotes last season as a sophomore.
“It was a learning experience,” he said. “*I was able to get a lot of playing time.”
Koopman recalls especially learning a lot about speedwork and rebounding techniques. He worked extensively during the offseason. His specialty will be doing plenty of work inside.
Most of the team got off to a slow preseason start because of football, with the Coyotes playing in the regional finals on Nov. 12. “We’re catching up,” Koopman said.
One of the other returning players is his cousin, senior Trent Sturgell. “We also only have three returning varsity players,” he said.
Three was also a coaching change in mid-October with JJ Eads taking the position. But in preseason, Koopman wasn’t expecting the transition to have an impact.
“It changed some things but I think it will be for the better in the long run,” Koopman said. “I just want to do my hardest and help the team. We’re young.”
He and his teammates hope to be playing their best toward the end of the season and at tournament time.
The Coyotes are home against Fremont on Friday in Central State Activities Association Gold Division action. They started out 0-2 last week. Koopman had seven points and 11 rebounds for Reed City against Cadillac.
