The Alderson Broaddus University men's basketball team was able to sign this summer one of the better scholar-athletes to come out of the state of North Carolina this past school year. Ben Henderson who played his high school basketball for Forestview High School in Gastonia, NC decided to further his academics and basketball career at Alderson Broaddus. Henderson finished his career averaging 10 points per game at Forestview. Battler Beat would project that he would play a wing position for ABU. But Ben brings a lot more to Alderson Broaddus than just basketball honors and academics. He brings a very impressive academic record to the campus on the hill. Ben accumulated a 3.7 grade point average during his time as a student-athlete. He topped that off by scoring an incredible 28 on the ACT and also a 1440 on the SAT. Battler Beat will be interviewing Ben in the coming weeks. You can catch his senior year highlight video package below.
The Alderson Broaddus men's basketball team has landed a basketball player with an abundance of athletic ability and also the versatility to play several different positions on the hardwood. Patrick Kennedy comes to Alderson Broaddus University from Todd Beamer High School in Federal Way, Washington. The long 6'5" prospect shows an ability on film to play the wing or even slide over to a forward position. Kennedy brings depth to positions vacated by wing Thylas Perkins and forward Richard Lemon who are recent graduates. Both Lemon and Perkins were three-year starters for the Battlers, and both earned all-conference status.
Kennedy can produce by scoring the basketball. He has a smooth mid-range jumper, but he can also take the ball off the dribble and explode to the basket. But a lot of his accolades this past season were for his fierce and uncanny ability to rebound the basketball for Beamer High School. He put up several double-doubles this past season as a senior. For his efforts, Kennedy was named to the 1st team 4A SPSL team in the Seattle/Tacoma area. Patrick played his AAU ball for Team Brandon Roy.
Bill Elleby, who is a former California University basketball player and coach, runs 206HS/NWAC Scouting and had this to say about Kennedy: "Super Motor.....Loves Defense.....ENERGY!" Battler basketball fans can check out Kennedy's senior year highlight video in the link below. Battler Beat will be interviewing Kennedy in the coming weeks. Look for the story to appear soon.
Battler Beat announced Bryce Butlers signing to play basketball for ABU back in June. Butler comes to Alderson Broaddus via Clark Montessori High School which is located outside of Cincinnati, OH. Butler put up impressive numbers during his senior season for the Cougars. The 6'1" guard averaged 23.3 points per game and distributed 3 assists per game. He led the Miami Valley Conference in scoring for the 2015-16 season. Butler was also the starting quarterback for the Cougars football team.
With the statistics and accolades put aside, the question remains can Bryce Butler take what he accomplished in high school and translate that to the Division 2 level. His basketball coach at Clark Montessori believes so. "There is no doubt in my mind that when it is all said and done that Bryce will have a very productive playing career at Alderson Broaddus!" stated Clark Montessori head boys basketball coach Darnell Parker. "Bryce wants to be the best, and he will work until he physically cannot work any longer. This is exactly the type of drive that you need out of point guards because they are an extension of the coaching staff on the floor. Bryce will challenge the level of play of his teammates and that in turn raises the level of play of the entire team."
Butler's recruiting video posted below shows a talented point guard in the half-court set as well as a shifty player in the open floor. He left Clark Montessori breaking an incredible 9 basketball records. One of those records includes being the school's all-time leading scorer. But many Battler fans know that in order to see the floor for Alderson Broaddus, Coach Greg Zimmerman demands that you be a quality defender first. Coach Parker doesn't see that being a problem for Butler: "Bryce will be a very reliable defender and will be a complete pest on defense."
Most Battler fans that follow the successful basketball program that Coach Zimmerman has built knows of his fiery competitiveness that he demands out of his players. Coach Darnell Parker feels that Bryce brings the same spark to Alderson Broaddus: "He brought a level of toughness and competitiveness to Clark that we needed. Bryce doesn't like to lose at anything! It could be sprints, lifts or a scrimmage, Bryce will do whatever it takes to win. And as a coach, those are the type of players that you can count when the game is on the line!"
ABU is searching for a new point guard to replace four-year starter Malcolm Tatum who achieved Division II All-American status. The Battlers have brought in several point guard prospects looking to fill the big shoes left by Tatum. So the question now will be can these prospects be the complete player that Malcolm Tatum was at that position. Tatum was more than just a scorer for ABU. He had multiple attributes and strengths that made him such a successful player. Coach Darnell Parker believes that Bryce Butler has what it takes: "Bryce obviously has a knack for putting the ball in the hole, but the reason he excelled was his willingness to let the game come to him. Bryce was the focal point of our opponent's defense in every game, so he had to be selective and patient. There were times when Bryce had to get his teammates involved, other times he had to force the action and sometimes he was just great at being a decoy. What gets overlooked with Bryce is that he is a very good passer. He puts the ball where it needs to be so that his teammates are in the best position to be successful."
The Battlers have had a strong run of point guards under Coach Zimmerman's tenure. The list is strong from the Rudy Wallaces, to the Derek Bells, to the Terrell Eargles all the way to Malcolm Tatum. All were excellent floor leaders. Coach Parker believes Butler has those same type of qualities needed: "His ability to take a group of players and get them pointed in the right direction toward a common goal is an exceptional trait he has! Bryce's leadership spans to the fact that he knows when to show emotion, and when it is appropriate to let the flow take its course. Bryce will never point the finger at his teammates and will take responsibility on himself when things aren't going the team's way."
Bryce Butler will be one of many Alderson Broaddus men's basketball players competing for the point guard position. Coach Parker added that Butler worked hard in the off-season to improve his upper body strength to get him better prepared for the play at the next level. He also added that Bryce spent a considerable time working on his three-point shot. As the season approaches, Battler fans can look forward to Butler's play on the floor.
The Alderson Broaddus University men's basketball team was able to sign this summer one of the better scholar-athletes to come out of the state of North Carolina this past school year. Ben Henderson who played his high school basketball for Forestview High School in Gastonia, NC decided to further his academics and basketball career at Alderson Broaddus. Henderson finished his career averaging 10 points per game at Forestview. Battler Beat would project that he would play a wing position for ABU. But Ben brings a lot more to Alderson Broaddus than just basketball honors and academics. He brings a very impressive academic record to the campus on the hill. Ben accumulated a 3.7 grade point average during his time as a student-athlete. He topped that off by scoring an incredible 28 on the ACT and also a 1440 on the SAT. Battler Beat will be interviewing Ben in the coming weeks. You can catch his senior year highlight video package below.
