Preview: North Central Knights vs. Andrew Jackson Volunteers
North Central is 1-9 against the Volunteers since December of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The North Central Knights will look to defend their home court against the Andrew Jackson Volunteers at 7:30 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Last Friday, even if it wasn't a dominant performance, North Central beat the Braves 73-68.
It was another big night for Dylan Smith, who dropped a double-double on 24 points and ten rebounds. He is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as he's now pulled down ten or more in the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Ethan Diles, who scored 12 points along with two steals.
Meanwhile, Andrew Jackson had already won nine in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 36.1 points), and they went ahead and made it ten on Wednesday. They took down Central 60-44. Given Andrew Jackson's advantage in MaxPreps' South Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 39th, while the Eagles are ranked 213th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Andrew Jackson found their leader in underclassman Zeke Clyburn, who dropped a double-double on 25 points and ten rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Clyburn has scored all season. Damias Seegars was another key contributor, scoring 12 points along with four steals.
North Central's victory bumped their record up to 11-8. As for Andrew Jackson, they pushed their record up to 19-3 with that victory, which was their 16th straight on the road dating back to last season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: North Central have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 21.4 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Andrew Jackson struggles in that department as they've been averaging 33.5 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
North Central ended up a good deal behind the Volunteers when the teams last played last Wednesday, losing 74-57. Will North Central have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other basketball content.
