Five Takeaways: Abilene-Andover
Five Takeaways: Abilene-Andover
SALINA, Kan. — After a slow start, Andover rallied to take an opening round contest against Abilene on Thursday at the Salina Invitational Tournament at Salina South.
Andover trailed at the end of the first quarter 15-6, but rallied to pull within two points at the halftime break as 6’2 2018 guard Braden Johnson scored six quick points for the Trojans in the second quarter to spur the rally. Andover ended the contest by outscoring the Cowboys 13-3 to take a 58-51 win.
Here, Prep Hoops takes a look at five things that stood out in the contest.
Jack Johnson (pictured) a talented freshman
One of the state’s better players in the 2021 class, Johnson is an athletic 6’1 guard who can do a little bit of everything. He is at his best moving without the ball as he stays in constant motion, can shoot the ball a little from the outside and can get to the basket off the dribble. Defensively, he is a ball hawk who does a good job moving his feet for a player his age.
Boyd tough to contain inside
A strong, physical post presence, Abilene 6’5 2019 post player Preston Boyd is an old school big man who proved to be tough to contain in the paint on Thursday. He showcased the ability to fight for position on the block and simply overpowered players around the basket. Boyd also showed a soft shooting touch at the free throw line as well.
Robinson has his way
Abilene 6’4 2018 power forward Tucker Robinson was too much in the paint for an undersized Andover team to handle throughout much of Thursday’s contest. He showed the ability to get all over the offensive boards, and proved to be difficult to contain around the basket. Robinson got to the free throw line several times, but left several points at the line as he went 2 for 6 in the first half.
Gagnon a player to watch
A 6’0 2019 guard, Andover’s Andrew Gagnon helped the Trojans right the ship at the offensive end of the court in the second half after a slow start that saw Andover score just six points in the first frame. He made a pair of free throws, a 3 and showed the ability to handle the ball and make plays.
Big off the bench
Abilene got a huge boost off its bench from 6’0 2019 guard Damian Hartman, who knocked down a pair of 3-pointers in the first half, scoring half of his team’s 12 points in the frame. Hartman gave the team some much-needed ball handling in the backcourt, providing a steady hand.