Klein has continued to improve as the year went on and he came out of the gates playing with the most energy and aggression for St Xavier as Covington Catholic really punched the favored Tigers in the mouth to open the game. Knocking down two of his five 3-point attempts, St Xavier ran nice actions to get him looks and his teammates made on time passes to Klein when he was open. Klein’s development being able to attack closeouts has been a major addition to the half-court offense of St Xavier and Klein going 3/4 from inside the arc is a key stat for him.

St.X’s roster has more than a handful of college prospects, to say the least, causing Klein’s name to sometimes slip through the cracks. Lack of conversation, however, doesn’t define his level of contribution to the Tigers. Rightfully known for his shooting abilities, he’s treaded the 50/40/90 club all season long. His reliability as a playmaker and his high defensive IQ, however, are two areas of his game that deserve to be spoken more about. Connor showcased the wide spectrum of his two-way skillset throughout the tournament en route to a Sweet 16 bid.

Not enough good things to say about the Senior Shooting Guard out of Saint Xavier in Louisville, Kentucky. He’s a calming presence on the floor for the Tigers. He’s a high motor guard that is a high level shooter. He’s a high IQ guard that can play on or off the ball. He does a good job getting himself open and has become more aggressive on the offensive end becoming more of an all around scorer. He’s an excellent cutter off the ball and was able to finish in crafty ways around the basket in the Tigers loss to Louisville Ballard on Friday night. Defensively, he’s capable of guarding multiple positions despite being only 6’1” and isn’t the most athletic player on the floor. He has great anticipation skills and is always in the right position on the floor to make it tough for the offense.

Stats: 19 points | 4 rebounds

St Xavier continues to impress early in the season and Klein has established himself as a valuable 6th man for the Tigers this season. Showing clear improvement from where he was this summer, Klein can make shots off the catch, attack closeouts to score at the rim or make a live dribble pass and handles defensive pressure well. A role player the team can trust to make the right play with the ball in his hands, St Xavier will need guys like Klein if they want to win a state championship in March.