Battle of Elites: Abilene Vs. Hays

<p>The weather knocked out nearly every game in northeast Kansas. But the frigid temperatures couldn’t completely freeze up the Hays Indians, who traveled to Abilene for a post-season tune up.</p> <p>Hays prolonged its lock on the #1 spot in 5A rankings. Abilene had recently dropped from the 4A rankings, but is still a team to watch as the season builds to a crescendo.</p> <p>Here are some observations from this matchup of elites:</p> <p><strong>Linenberger got the better of Becker:</strong></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1075931" first="Jace" last="Linenberger"], a 6-foot-6 wing, had a nice sophomore season, averaging about 7 points and 4.5 rebounds per contest. But he has doubled those numbers to become one of the state’s premier players in 5A. He had four games with 20 or more points, and he registered his fifth Tuesday. He led all scorers with 23. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="891911" first="Kaleb" last="Becker"] </strong>(pictured) one of the top juniors in 4A, was solid with 15, including 4-4 from the line, but it wasn’t enough Tuesday.</p> <p><strong>No one trick pony:</strong></p> <p>The 18-0 Indians have a versatile and balanced lineup. <strong>Dalyn Schwarz</strong> has a lot of experience and physical characteristics similar to Linenberger. His stats are similar as well. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="952447" first="Carson" last="Kieffer"]</strong> is running the offense, dishing out 6.4 assists per contest, and scoring at a good clip, particularly from deep. [player_tooltip player_id="889506" first="TJ" last="Nunnery"] is an experienced and athletic complement to Kieffer.</p> <p><strong>Recent stumble:</strong></p> <p>There’s no shame in losing to the #1 team in 5A. But for Abilene, it comes on the heels of a loss to a one-point loss to Marysville. They have dipped to 8-5 on the campaign. The Cowboys need a strong finish against Chapman and Concordia for momentum.</p> <p><strong>Becker is big:</strong></p> <p>The junior has been ultra solid throughout the season, scoring at least 15 points in nearly every game. The 6-foot-4 wing can run the floor, hit from outside or battle inside, and dominate the boards. He picks up a lot of fouls and is really good from the line.</p> <p><strong>Help needed:</strong></p> <p>Seniors <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1070205" first="Avery" last="Bryson"]</strong> and <strong>Josh Stuber</strong> have been good all season in support of Becker. Both are 6-foot-3 guards who can crash the boards and produce in a variety of ways. But they will both need to produce and get help from <strong>Blaise McVan</strong> and company to support Becker. Only five Cowboys scored against Hays on Tuesday.</p>