MEET THE TEAM
Salina Central has been a model of consistency over the years under Doug Finch. After two years of building, Finch has directed the Mustangs to six consecutive winning seasons.That all sounds good, so what's been the problem? Well, the problem has been a rash of bad luck at the most ill-timed moments that have kept Salina Central out of the state tournament for five of those six seasons. The Mustangs have lost in the sub-state finals, more often than not by excruciatingly close margins, in three of those seasons.
Climbing over that mental mountain will be a task, but Central is equipped with three returning starters and a bevy of talent that has Finch in line for another winning season. The roots of the team are the three returners in Mark Vaughn, Treyton Hines and Justin Bengtson.
Vaughn will be their best player, an honorable mention all-state player last season and the focal point of the offense this season. He has the size at 6-3 to score down low, but also a nice touch from the outside that makes him a dual-threat. Hines is a player whose fought through injuries, but is now healthy and has a high ceiling because he's 6-4 and can stroke it from outside. Then Bengtson gives the Mustangs a big body, at 6-5, to defend the paint and take the lead in rebounding.
It all makes for a potent offense for Central, which Finch considers to be one of his best-shooting teams he's ever had. But scoring against quality teams last season was a problem, as Central dropped 7 of 9 games against teams that finished with a winning record. That might be a struggle again this season because the team is void of a true point guard and that will be something Central will have to overcome this season with a committee.
Defense is still a work-in-progress for this team and Central will have to make strides, but Finch likes the potential. There is a lot of length on this team, which presents a multitude of options for him to exploit it. Look for the Mustangs to play a lot of zone and put the lanky Hines at the top to try to disrupt the passing lanes.
It's difficult to imagine the streak ending this year under Finch. His teams are always well-coached and fundamentally solid. At the high school level, that's usually good for at least 8 wins a season. I think Central can scrounge up at least 3 more and make it another winning year. A trip to state is also a very possible reality with an entire sub-state currently in flux and the two berths very much available for the taking. This might not be the best team Finch has had, but it very well could become only the second to reach the state tournament.
MEET THE CAST
#25 | MARK VAUGHN | WING | 6'3" | SENIOR
A returning starter and honorable mention all-state player, Vaughn will be the leader of this team. He averaged over 12 points a game last year and that number will rise because he is so versatile, owning the ability to score from the post and the stroke to make defenses pay from the outside.
#23 | TREYTON HINES | WING | 6'4" | JUNIOR
He's 6-4, but don't let the height fool you: Hines is a perimeter player that is an excellent shooter. Has a heigh ceiling if he can stay healthy and should pair with Vaughn to make for two pure scorers.
#05 | JUSTIN BENGTSON | POST | 6'5" | SENIOR
Started last season, but didn't put up any significant stats. He'll have to take on a larger load this season, as he will be the cornerstone of Central's defense in the paint and should be close to doubling his averages of 3 points and 3 rebounds from a year ago.
#15 | TANNER ROBL | POST | 6'2" | JUNIOR
Promoted from the end of the bench to a prominent role this season. Robl is a football player playing basketball and is the type of player Central needs to scrap for rebounds and loose balls down low. Won't score much, but excellent defender and rebounder.
#35 | JORDAN McNELLY | POST | 6'3" | SOPHOMORE
Only a sophomore, but could make a large impact this season because of his potential. He plays bigger than 6-3 with long arms and has a soft touch around the rim. Still a bit raw, but could be a tremendous player down the road.
#10 | MAX KUHN | POINT | 5'10" | JUNIOR
Likely will handle the offense as a junior after not seeing much time last season. He's more noted for his outside shot and has the ability to make defenses pay if they slack off of Vaughn or Hines.
#01 | DAMION COOPER | WING | 5'8" | SENIOR
Should play a significant role this season with his defensive pressure he can put on the ball. A little on the small size, Cooper makes up for it with his intense defense and also has the ability to hoist them up from beyond the arc.
#11 | KAMEN KOSSOW | WING | 6'0" | JUNIOR
Didn't play much last season, but could see extended minutes this season off the bench. Another good on-ball defender that will earn him minutes, but he'll have to adjust quickly to the varsity level.
A returning starter and honorable mention all-state player, Vaughn will be the leader of this team. He averaged over 12 points a game last year and that number will rise because he is so versatile, owning the ability to score from the post and the stroke to make defenses pay from the outside.
#23 | TREYTON HINES | WING | 6'4" | JUNIOR
He's 6-4, but don't let the height fool you: Hines is a perimeter player that is an excellent shooter. Has a heigh ceiling if he can stay healthy and should pair with Vaughn to make for two pure scorers.
#05 | JUSTIN BENGTSON | POST | 6'5" | SENIOR
Started last season, but didn't put up any significant stats. He'll have to take on a larger load this season, as he will be the cornerstone of Central's defense in the paint and should be close to doubling his averages of 3 points and 3 rebounds from a year ago.
#15 | TANNER ROBL | POST | 6'2" | JUNIOR
Promoted from the end of the bench to a prominent role this season. Robl is a football player playing basketball and is the type of player Central needs to scrap for rebounds and loose balls down low. Won't score much, but excellent defender and rebounder.
#35 | JORDAN McNELLY | POST | 6'3" | SOPHOMORE
Only a sophomore, but could make a large impact this season because of his potential. He plays bigger than 6-3 with long arms and has a soft touch around the rim. Still a bit raw, but could be a tremendous player down the road.
#10 | MAX KUHN | POINT | 5'10" | JUNIOR
Likely will handle the offense as a junior after not seeing much time last season. He's more noted for his outside shot and has the ability to make defenses pay if they slack off of Vaughn or Hines.
#01 | DAMION COOPER | WING | 5'8" | SENIOR
Should play a significant role this season with his defensive pressure he can put on the ball. A little on the small size, Cooper makes up for it with his intense defense and also has the ability to hoist them up from beyond the arc.
#11 | KAMEN KOSSOW | WING | 6'0" | JUNIOR
Didn't play much last season, but could see extended minutes this season off the bench. Another good on-ball defender that will earn him minutes, but he'll have to adjust quickly to the varsity level.
FROM COACH FINCH
"We've been a consistently winning program, but we've got to take it to another level. It's an empty feeling because we've had great opportunities the last two years. We let those games slip away and a lot of these kids remember that and remember seeing the seniors. That's why they were in the gym so much this summer. We don't want to feel that way again."
THE PREDICTION
Salina Central appears ready for another solid season with three starters back from a successful team. Finch has a proven track record of getting the Mustangs to a winning season and I don't see that stopping this year. It's hard to imagine this group winning more than the 13 games they did last year, but I still think over 10 wins is more than reasonable. A chance for a state berth is there as well because Central's sub-state is wide open, so if this team catches fire at the right time then it could be in for a special year.
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