Andover Central vs. Salina Central: Recap & Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Andover Central hosted Salina Central in their final game of 2022 and the Jaguars completely dominated all 4 quarters. In the first 3 minutes, both teams were off to a slower than expected start however Andover Central kept a steady lead; but, once sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1300824' first='Jayden' last='Brown'] checked in with 5 minutes left in the first quarter, the momentum and play of Andover Central rocketed to another level. The score was 35 to 17 at half with Andover Central leading -- Andover Central won the game 70 to 32. The Jaguars' suffocating defense held the Mustangs to only 15 points in the second half. Here are 4 players that played high level basketball every minute that they were on the floor:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1300824' first='Jayden' last='Brown'] 2025 - Andover Central: Jayden is a high motor point guard with a "we over me" mentality. On a number of occasions, he would attack the rim and kick out to his open teammates as well as perfectly pass the ball into the post players hand for an easy two. But, Jayden's IQ is high so he wasn't giving up any shots when the defense would loosen up or ease up off of him - Jayden ended the game with 15 points (4/6 from 3 and an "and 1" while finishing a tough lay-up). Defensively, he is hard to get around; he is a pest for the offense because no matter what move you make or misdirection you try to create, he is right there! Jayden is definitely a player to keep close tabs on as the season progresses!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1080170' first='Kobe' last='Smith'] 2023 - Andover Central: Kobe can play! &nbsp;Offensively, he is versatile so he is hard to guard. Kobe can shoot in transition as well as finish at the rim; he is a shot creator who doesn't need much space - so, he frequently had the defense confused and was able to efficiently shoot from just about anywhere. Kobe is more than just a scorer as he rebounded well on both ends of the floor and had a handful of steals and deflections - 2 of those steals ended with him finishing some authoritative dunks! Kobe was the most exciting player to watch on Tuesday night - he finished with 23 points!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1080194' first='Brian' last='Perry Jr'] 2023 - Andover Central: Brian is the type of player that every team needs - he does the "dirty work". Throughout the game, he had many multiple effort sequences and never gave up on a play until the whistle blew. He is a hustle player with a lot of heart. In one particular segment, the ball was getting tipped around the rim by both squads and Brian kept going after it until he properly secured the ball - then, proceeded to lay the ball up through three defenders! &nbsp;He was relentless and tough in everything situation; Brian uses his body well and is physically imposing. Brian ended the game with 10 points but the value and effort he brought against Salina Central can't be expressed on a stat sheet.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dylan Puckett 2024 - Salina Central: Dylan didn't seem to get off as many shots as he had in the games prior to Tuesday's match-up against Andover Central but anyone watching could see that Dylan is a shooter. He shot the ball with confidence and never neglected his form or fundamentals when the defense was on him. Dylan led the Mustangs with 12 points (four 3's).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->