Fraser, MI — Look no farther than Chippewa Valley’s Jordan Wright if you want the definition of a complete basketball player. The 6-foot-4 senior was a factor offensively and defensively Wednesday as the Big Reds opened their season with a 68-51 victory against Fraser. “We definitely wanted to come out here tonight and set a tone,” said Wright, who led all scorers with 17 points but was also one of the leaders in rebounds, assists and blocks. “Last year we came out slow.” Chippewa Valley coach Corey Smith is expecting big things from Wright this season. “Whatever college gets him is going to get a college-ready player who will make the right play every time,” Smith said. “He’s a phenomenal passer. He can handle the ball for his size. He’s the best on our team at the rim. I can’t wait to see what the season holds for him.” The Big Reds have a better shooting team than last year and Wright’s presence on the court will create more opportunities. “Jordan creates so much space for other people,” Smith said. “Teams sometimes have two or three guys on him. When you surround him with shooters, teams are going to struggle.” Wright said that his goal has been to be multi-dimensional. “I’ve always wanted to be an all-around player,” he said. “I take pride in defense. I think my biggest improvement this year is just becoming more of a leader on and off the court.” Chippewa Valley ended the first half on a 10-0 run to take a 36-26 lead to the locker room. Wright got the run started with a bucket. Brandon Bellante and Rayshaun Hester followed with 3-point baskets and Dennis Barth capped the spurt with two free throws. “We’ve been working all summer putting up shots and it showed today,” Wright said. Fraser coach Steve Norgrove said the late surge in the first half was a turning point in the game. There were nine lead changes and three ties before Wright’s basket put the Big Reds ahead to stay. “We did a good job of competing when the game was tight but it got away from us in the last minute of the first half,” Norgrove said. “I don’t think we ever recovered from that. Jordan Wright is a load in the paint and they hit some timely 3s to spread the score out. It forced us to play out of our system and pressured us into a lot of turnovers. “Give Chippewa Valley credit. They got into our passing lanes and really got up into our guards. They played a very good floor game. We were on our heels all night trying to guard them.” Smith was concerned coming into the game because Fraser already had played a game and beat Sterling Heights. “I was really nervous about that,” Smith said. “It’s similar to playing in districts. The team that plays on Monday and wins has the advantage. They’ve gotten the first-game jitters out. And (Fraser) is tough. They get after you physically. They’re going to be a problem in their division “I think our depth was the difference because that’s a well-coached, solid team.” Several Big Reds players came off the bench and got important baskets. “Last year we had to do it on defense because we couldn’t shoot a lick,” Smith said. “This team can really shoot and when they’re moving it looks good. At one point in the third quarter I turned around and said ‘I think we’ve made a month’s worth of 3s from last year’s team.’” Chippewa Valley finished with 11 3-point baskets. Despite the loss, Norgrove likes the progress the Ramblers are making in his first year as coach. “I like the way we treat each other. I like the way we compete,” he said. “We made some mistakes but they’re correctible from a team standpoint. I’m upbeat about that. “We’re trying to figure out who we are and I like what I see. The result tonight is disappointing but we’re not a scoreboard-based team. We’re a process-based team. We’re going to keep growing and keep doing things that lead to more positive outcomes.” Chippewa Valley’s balanced scoring included 16 points from Donovan Harris, nine from Bellante and seven apiece from Barth and Hester. Ethan Scaife led Fraser with 14 points, Jerry Boyd scored 10 and Tyler Rayford had eight. -Chuck Klonke Macomb Daily