High school basketball preview: Andale Indians (+video)
Schedule
December – 8, at Derby; 11, Pratt; 15, Wellington; 18, Circle.
January – 5, at Clearwater; 8, Collegiate, 12, at Mulvane; 15, Augusta; 19, at McPherson (G); 19-23, at Halstead tournament (B); 26, at McPherson (B); 28-30, at McPherson tournament (G).
February – 2, Winfield; 5, at Rose Hill; 9, Maize South, 12, at Wellington; 16, at Circle; 19, Clearwater; 23, at Collegiate; 25, Mulvane.
Boys
Coach: Jeff Buchanan, 10th season
Last season: 19-4
Top players
Jeff Ast, 6-6, sr., F
Clint Walstad, 6-1, sr., G
Pete Carney, 6-0, sr.,
Zach Meyer, 5-9, jr., G
Parker Bruce, 6-2, so., F
Cameron Cothran, 6-4, jr., F
At 6-foot-6, 230 pounds, Ast is a player who draws opponents’ attention simply because of his size. But he has proven there’s more to his game.
“He has unreal feet,” Buchanan said. “It makes him one of the best in the nation in track (javelin) and one of the best in the state in football. He can move in a number of ways inside. He’s a really good passer and outside shooter, and yes, defending, rebounding and protection of the basket.”
More expectations are on Ast and Walstad, Andale’s returning starters.They combined to average 15.7 points as Andale made its run to the Class 4A-I tournament. But gone is game-changer Hunter Knoblauch.
“Every year you expect a little more out of your returners,” Buchanan said. “With Jeff… he’ll have to step up and expand his game in scoring, rebounding and leadership.”
Buchanan believes the Indians can make another run to the state tourney.
“Last year was a nice, competitive atmosphere,” he said. “That hasn’t changed. These young men have been a part of a state-qualifying team and a third-place (in 4A-II) state team. They know what it takes to get to the next level.”
Andale also has more players than Walstad and Ast. Meyer, Walstad and Carney can run the point, and Carney is dangerous from three.
“We want Clint to score and take big shots,” Buchanan said. “He’s a sneaky-smooth athlete, who has a lot of potential to be a tough matchup. We need to get him in gear from the get-go.”
Bruce and Cothran, who had a hand injury last season, will add size and physicality inside.
“Parker uses his body well, and he takes it to the goal well,” Buchanan said. “And Cameron, the injury never slowed him down. He battled.”
Girls
Coach: Ted Anderson, first season
Last season: 19-4
Top players
Jaiden Easter, 5-6, sr., G
Kadey Dreiling, 5-11, sr., F
Elizabeth Leep, 5-11, sr., F
Jill Bergkamp, 5-10, jr., F
After 24 seasons as Andale’s girls coach, Mark Kerschen resigned in March with a 361-164 record and a berth in the Class 4A-I tournament. It was Andale’s first state trip since 2008.
Anderson plans for that success to continue. He has plenty of experience — he coached the Valley Center girls from 1993-94 through 2008-09, was the Andale boys freshman coach the past six seasons and the middle school girls coach the last three seasons.
“What I said when I interviewed was ‘we’re not building a new house, we’re just going to change some of the decorations in the rooms,’ ” Anderson said. “His program has been grounded in defense and toughness.”
Andale graduated six key players, including Brittany Meyer, Rachel Friedrichs and Lauren Rowland, who each averaged double-figure scoring.
But the Indians still have experience and talent.
Anderson plans to increase possessions by upping the tempo with Easter at point guard. Leep is a good defender and was at the front of the press last season because she deflects passes and creates turnovers.
“This summer she stole the ball off the front of the press and scored 12 points in a row. I’ve just never seen that,” Anderson said. “We’re going to do some things with her and get her involved in the offense.”
Dreiling is a versatile player who can score from the perimeter and also be effective inside.
“Jill Bergkamp is a very, very strong post player,” Anderson said. “She’s strong and physical. But we won’t be able to get the ball inside if we don’t stretch the defense. We also have to get something off our defense.
Joanna Chadwick
This story was originally published November 15, 2015 at 11:14 AM with the headline "High school basketball preview: Andale Indians (+video)."