Postseason Preview: 5 Players to Watch in Class A District A1

<p><em>The postseason is underway across the state of Nebraska and with the month of March approaching, the state’s hankering for hoops soon will peak with the state tournament in Lincoln. But first, district play matchups which kicked off Friday night with the play-in games in Class A districts 1-3, and culminating with all of the Class A District final matchups taking place on Monday night March 1st. I will preview players to watch across all seven Class A districts. Let’s start with District A1</em></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1018806" first="William" last="Kyle III"] - 6’7 Junior Forward - Bellevue West</p> <p>Kyle has shown many flashes of improvement throughout his junior campaign for the defending Class A state champions at Bellevue West. The man in the middle for the T-Birds, Kyle has displays his steller paint defense and athelticism when defending the rim. Kyle has shown the ability to chase down and pin layups off the backboard, as well as a great ability to wall up and defend paint touches well. He also has a good arsenal of post moves on the offensive end. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1013209" first="Josiah" last="Dotzler"]- 6’2 Sophomore Guard - Bellevue West</p> <p>Dotzler always shines in the biggest moments, as he first showed the state of Nebraska last March making huge shots down the stretch in the Class A state title game when he was only just a freshman. This season Dotzler has done more of the same for the T-Birds shooting 46% from the field and 38% from 3. Dotzler has a quick lefty release and is one of the better shooting guards in the state of Nebraska. It will be interesting to see if Dotzler and his TBird teammates can repeat their postseason success from a year ago. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="890470" first="Kwat" last="Abdelkarim"] - 6’3 Senior Guard - Lincoln North Star</p> <p>One of the top uncommitted seniors in the state, Abdelkarim has been the straw that stirs the drink for the Navigators throughout his senior campaign, and if they want to make some noise this postseason he will be a key cog in his team doing so. A crafty lefty who can score at all 3 levels, One of the top scorers in the state of Nebraska averaging exactly 20 points per contest, Abdelkarim uses his length and athleticism to get to the basket and finish through contact. He is also able to use his solid length and wingspan to his advantage on the defensive end. More than a scorer, he is averaging 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals a game. A skilled, multifaceted guard,  Kwat will certainly be one to watch during district weekend as North Star will open up hosting North Platte. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1018718" first="River" last="Johnston"] - 6’0 Sophomore Guard - North Platte</p> <p>Another impressive sophomore guard in district A1 is North Platte’s [player_tooltip player_id="1018718" first="River" last="Johnston"]. It’s not every day you see a sophomore guard averaging just under 20 points a game in Class A basketball. Johnston is a very skilled ball handler for his age and uses a nice arsenal of dribble moves to get to the rim. Johnston finishes through contact well and gets fouled at a high rate, where he is able to convert free throws at a high percentage as well. In a battle of skilled backcourts against Lincoln North Star, Johnston will be the go to guy for the Bulldogs as they look to advance in district play. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="981707" first="Carter" last="Sintek"] - 5’11 Guard - Fremont</p> <p>Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id="981707" first="Carter" last="Sintek"] has certainly been a bright spot this season for the Tigers. Sintek is a smart, scoring guard who has displayed the ability to get to the basket, a solid midrange game, and a good-looking catch and shoot release from 3 point range. Sintek has good length for his size and has a good-looking shot from all levels on offense. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>