Bryant takes 20-game winning streak to Conway on Friday night
BY DUDLEY E. DAWSON
After losing its first two high school boys basketball games of the season to Texas Alliance of Christian Athletes 79-69 and Springdale Har-Ber 71-68, Bryant found itself in quick need of attitude adjustment.
The result – a now 20-game winning streak that was was extended on Tuesday night when the Hornets downed North Little Rock 64-53.
“We didn’t play well that first weekend and didn’t really do the things that we worked on every day in practice,” Bryant head coach Mike Abrahamson said. “I think the players were trying to play well, but they just deviated from what we normally do.
“They didn’t like that feeling of losing those two and – I don’t know if they were embarrassed or they just don’t like that feeling of losing.
“So I have got to give them credit, they just kind of re-established our way of doing things and committed to doing that in our games.
“We have also defended a lot better, taken better shots with better shot selection and that has been the two biggest on-court things, but I really just think it is the players not liking that losing feeling.”
Bryant (20-2, 4-0) will try to extend the streak when it travels to face Conway in a Class 6A Central conference game on Friday night.
“A lot of people talk about the winning streak, but we don’t really talk about it,” Abrahamson said. “It’s not that we are trying to avoid it. It’s not that we are superstitious. We just going one at a time and the players are buying into that.
“I still think we can get better in some areas. Hopefully I can get them there, but time will tell.”
Episcopal Collegiate transfer guard Kellen Robinson (6-3) had 33 points to lead the Hornets in Tueday’s throne win over the Charging Wildcats.
“He is instant offense,” Abrahamson said. “He can score it in every way possible. Really talented guy, but he has also really defensively. Even though he scores a lot and shoots a lot, he really is guy that wants to make the right play, he is a willing passer and, like I said, he has really come a long way defensively and in following scouting reports and got into that type of stuff.”
Kellen is the third Robinson brother that Abrahamson has coached – along with former Arkansas and Texas A&M and current Little Rock player KK Robinson and middle brother Kason.
“They are very similar, but Kellen has a bigger personality than the other two that I have coached,” Abrahamson said. “He is a much more vocal guy, which I love. He is like a straight A student, he is here every day, he is coachable. He’s awesome.”
The rest of the starting five includes four seniors in Camarion Bead (6-1), Trent Ford (5-9), RJ Young (6-3) and Kaden Benson (6-5).
“Camarion Bead is like our Swiss Army knife,” Abrahamson said. “I coached his brother as weak in Cameron Hunter, who is now at UCA. We call him CD (Dean) and he has just awesome court vision, a high IQ for the game.
“He is strong as an ox and plays bigger than what he is, which is about 6-2. He plays bigger than that and can guard guys that are small and quick and can guard guys that are bigger and stronger. Like I said, has great court vision and has really worked on his outside shot…He is a guy we need on the floor a lot.”
“Trent Ford is a senior that started for us last season and he is just solid as a rock. Just super solid, a great defender, a good shooter, a great driver. Really quiet kid, great student in school.”
Young is a sophomore that patrols the paint.
“RJ Young is a sophomore who started every game as a freshman for us last year – all 31 games,” Abrahamson said. “He is just super athletic, about 6-4 and just great instincts on the court. Another quiet guy in school, but just a beast on the court. Plays with a super high motor who does a lot for us.”
Caden Benson has started all of our games this season and had one of his best last night (Tuesday),” Abrahamson said. “He probably had about 8 points, but is a shot blocker and a rebounder. He alters a lot of shots.”
Bryant also depends on junior RJ Newton and senior Drake Fowler off the bench.
“ RJ Newton, who is a junior for us that is a really good player and shooter, smart and gotten a lot stronger,” Abrahamson said. “…He has a super high IQ for the game and could probably coach the team and super high quality young man, which all of them are.
“The seventh guy who we play a lot is Drake Fowler, who you might know from the football field. He is the starting safety on our football team and a senior.
“The interesting thing is that he became a starter for us the second semester of his freshman year and also starter as a junior and he has willingly and very whole-heartedly accepted a role of coming off the bench this year. He is a game-changer defensively.”
Bryant has played a tough schedules, which makes the winning streak even more impressive.
“We have played a tough schedule, but we don’t really have a choice but to play a tough schedule,” Abrahamson said. “There a lot of tough teams out there and scheduling is tough so are really going to tough opponents, which we have embraced. We have always kind of been like that and our players accept and embrace it.”
Photo courtesy of Bryant basketball
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