West Central Valley senior Carson Powell joined the Wildcats’ basketball program as a junior, but his impact on starting a possession was massive this season.

Head coach Dave Brumley says that his senior started every game this season, and Powell may be the best player he’s had for beating a press defense.

If the ball was in Carson’s hands, I knew he could make the right decision whether it was to pass, speed up to split a double team, he never allowed himself to be trapped. We probably averaged 10 to 12 more turnovers (the previous season) than we did this season just having Carson in there. He knows when something’s going to happen and just doesn’t allow it to happen. He’s probably the best guy I’ve ever had at splitting the double team when it comes for him.”

Brumley noted that in multiple 2020-21 contests, teams took the full-court press off the Wildcats because it was more detrimental to them to run it and have Powell beat them than it was to retreat to a half-court style. He hopes the impression his senior had on the younger players in the program will carry over to make beating the press a Wildcats’ standard.