AGE 17
HOMETOWN Dover
GRADE 12
SCHOOL Polytech High School
POSITION Center
HEIGHT 6 feet 8 inches
The Polytech High School boys basketball team not has only been winning a lot this season, it’s been winning with flash.
The Panthers players never fail to drop the big three pointer, slam home a dunk over an opponent or hustle on defense and stuff a player’s lay-up with a blocked shot.
At the forefront of most of those big plays is center Kendall Gray, who sat down with the Dover Post Feb. 3 to discuss his success so far this year.
Q So far this year, you’ve put up consistently good numbers, scoring in double digits most games as well as blocking a lot of shots. Did you expect this kind of production?
A I kind of expected it because I worked throughout the off-season to get better and improve. I figured from doing that that my game would escalate up to the point where it was supposed to be during the season.
Q A lot of people expected the Panthers to run the table in the Henlopen Conference, but a few weeks ago you lost a close game to Dover. Was that loss deflating?
A It was a tough loss, but as all good teams do, we’ve got to learn how to fight back and proceed through the rest of the season. We’ve still got six more games to go and then the tournament starts. We should be fine though. We have a great vibe right now. We have to just keep learning how to play better together and I expect a championship for us.
Q Where do you think you’ve really excelled on the court this year?
A On defense, I know we have offensive scorers, so I try to stop the ball from going in our basket. Blocking shots is definitely a plus. Every time a person comes up to shoot a basket, my goal is to challenge it.
Q On the offensive end, you’ve got the ability to change a game’s momentum with a big slam-dunk. Do you look for those when your team needs a lift?
A I try to help the team out as much as I can. If I dunk it and that energizes the crowd and gets the team into the game we’re playing, then I try to dunk it as many times as I can.
Q Would you rather get a big dunk or a big block in a game?
A There’s nothing like a really good blocked shot. But me dunking on someone is a great feeling too. I can’t decide.
Q How do you prepare for a game?
A I try to get a good stretch in because I’m usually not the flexible one out there. So I stretch as much as I can before the game and then I just play around in the locker room. I try not to think about the game too much. I just like to have fun going out there and that seems to help my game excel.
