The small towns surrounding Great Bend have seen some prolific production from a couple of players the past three years. Ellinwood combo guard Britton Dutton Britton Dutton 6'1" | SG Ellinwood | 2023 State KS (pictured) has been going off…
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SubscribeThe small towns surrounding Great Bend have seen some prolific production from a couple of players the past three years.
Ellinwood combo guard
Britton Dutton
Britton
Dutton
6'1" | SG
Ellinwood | 2023
State
KS
(pictured) has been going off since his freshman year, when he averaged 18 points and 5 rebounds. He’s just one point shy of 1,500 in his career. The only thing left for Dutton, who recently committed to play at University of Illinois-Springfield, is to get the Eagles to the state tournament. They have had their hearts broken at sub-state too many times.
Meanwhile, just up the road at Pawnee Heights, Alec Carlson Alec Carlson 6'1" | CG Pawnee Heights | 2023 State KS has torched opponents for over 1,200 points in his career. Like Dutton, Carlson is a prolific scorer who gets it done in a variety of ways. He can score at the rim, in transition, or bomb away from deep.
While Dutton and Carlson are setting records, there are plenty of other good players in the area to watch. Here are six other Great Bend-area seniors who will be in the spotlight this season (in alphabetical order):
One of the top 1A teams to watch this year will be Macksville, which was third in 1A Div. I last season. They are loaded with experience and talent, with Barron one of the team’s senior leaders. He’s an athletic guy who can play a multitude of positions. He was good for 11 points and 6 rebounds as a junior for a team that didn’t look to any one player for production.
Ellinwood is blessed with some long players who can play inside and out in support of Dutton. Behnke is a long, unselfish forward who passes well. He dished out 4.5 assists as a junior to go with 9 points and 5 boards. He has good hands and good vision.
Stafford put together a fine season last year, led primarily by juniors. Pounding away in the paint was Hildebrand, a long athlete with coordination and size. He uses the skills that make him a fine football receiver on the court. He runs the floor and cleans the glass, racking up 10 points and 9 boards on a balanced team.
Haxton is a gamer who gives the Cardinals leadership and solid production across the board. He contributed 9 points, 5 boards and 3.5 assists as a junior. Hoisington will miss Bralen Thompson, so Haxton will have to provide even more offense. He brings football-type of toughness to the court and is dangerous from deep.
Somewhat similar to Hildebrand, Kuckelman is a football stud who gets after it in the paint come basketball season. He averaged 11 points and 9 rebounds for the state-bound Mustangs last year. He’s a smart, hard-working big man who attracts attention, giving his young teammates freedom to roam.
Scheck is a rugged, hard-working forward who gets after it in the paint and runs the floor in support of Dutton and company. He is more than just a banger. He moves in and out to receive passes, set screens and dive to the hole. He contributed 12 points and 4 rebounds as a junior. He’s a tough defender too.
