Sharon’s Klausner Enters Maimonides 1,000-Point Club, Joining Brother

During the summer entering his junior season for the Maimonides School basketball team, Sharon resident Yoni Klausner decided that his present state as a one-trick pony, as solely an outside shooting threat, was not what he strove to be.

Over that summer, 2012, Klausner played basketball with an increased level of competition, and developed a different vision of himself as a player. Maximizing his athleticism to transform his game into including driving to the hoop at will, he emerged an all-around player.

Klausner continued to progress his skills this past summer and has begun the 2013-14 Maimonides season on fire. The captain was rewarded for his efforts on January 12 when he eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for his M-Cats career, joining his older brother, Avi, in that six-member pantheon of Maimo greats.

“What an amazing accomplishment,” said Maimonides Head Coach Ed Gelb. “Yoni has worked so hard on his game, and he has improved so much. He has been scoring even though the other teams focus most of their attention on him. He also happens to be a great kid. Humble, team oriented, and just a pleasure to coach.”

After Klausner, 17, scored on a layup that afternoon against Pope John to reach the 1,000 point mark, play was halted and he was presented with one of his old jerseys, signed by his teammates. Klausner says that his initial reaction to achieving the milestone was one of relief.

“I was happy to get the stress off my shoulders and get back to just playing the game I love. I am happy the milestone is behind me, and it is something I will always remember,” said Klausner, who scored 25 points for Maimonides in the contest.

Klausner has scored an average of 32.4 points per game (ppg) in Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association play thus far this season, through Tuesday. Overall, counting Maimo’s games not sanctioned by the MIAA, through 11 games, Klausner’s average is 22.9.

Gelb says that Klausner plays virtually every position on the floor for the M-Cats, with the team considering him a forward. “Yoni has transformed his game and capitalized on his strength and quick first step.  He can now shoot, drive and score in the post,” said Gelb, who has coached Klausner for the past two seasons.

Klausner says that his rise is a credit to consistently raising expectations of himself. That summer prior to his junior year, he played in a league at Mass Premier Courts in Foxboro with European semi-pro players and American college players. Klausner increased his scoring average for Maimo the following winter to just over 19 per game.

“I learned that being a one-dimensional player, just a shooter, just won't cut it. I really improved on driving to the hoop,” Klausner said. “This past summer [2013], I continued to work, and turned myself into a drive-first player to be able to score from anywhere on the court.

“Basketball is all about improving and getting better each day. From this accomplishment, I have learned that if one puts in hard work, anything can be achieved. It is an important life lesson that I will take with me wherever I go in life,” Klausner added.

Klausner’s brother, Avi, graduated from Maimonides, a Modern Orthodox Jewish day school located in Brookline, in 2008, and also scored 1,000 during his high school career. In his first year as the varsity team’s assistant coach, Avi has enjoyed witnessing firsthand his sibling’s ascent on the hardwood.

“It was pretty awesome to get to see my little brother achieve the milestone. I know he works on his game a lot, so it was nice to see his hard work pay off,” said Avi Klausner.

Of the obvious basketball talent and drive that is shared throughout the family, Avi Klausner noted that he wasn’t even the first of their household to excel for Maimo recently. Klausner says that his older brother, Moshe, “probably” would’ve reached 1,000 himself, except he only played two years for the squad.

“I was really lucky to grow up watching my older brother, Mo. It really drove to me practice hard to become as good as he was,” said Avi Klausner. “All three of us have pushed each other to get better, and it has really paid off.”

In discussing his basketball success, Yoni Klausner thanked his “family, friends, coaches, and teammates for all of their help on and off the court.” Klausner says that he is undecided on his post-high school plans and on whether he will pursue playing basketball collegiately.

Klausner has led Maimonides this season to a 5-0 record in MIAA play, with three snow-outs (8-3 overall). As for his goals for the rest of the campaign, Klausner points to a team benchmark. “Some state tournament wins this year,” he said, “would be a nice way to cap off my Maimo career."