Keenan Sparks ’24 dribbles the basketball.
After Boys Basketball Co-Captain Keenan Sparks ’24 came to Andover as a Junior during the beginning of Covid-19, he was soon faced with the challenge of losing one year of high school basketball. However, Sparks has risen to lead the team regardless of setbacks.
Sparks said, “It’s been a great experience just to be able to lead, and I know definitely it’s been something I’ve had to work on throughout my years. So, I think just being put in that position and being able to lead and just on the court and off the court has been an incredible opportunity and I’ve enjoyed the season a lot.”
Sparks noted the chemistry between the captains. He highlighted a game against Worcester Academy (Worcester), where Andover was the underdog coming into the game. Although the team was down during halftime, Sparks recalled Co-Captain Diego Valez ’24 and his performance that led to an upset win.
Sparks said, “We were down in the first half by like a good amount, I think 10 or 12 points. We made a big comeback, and then I hit a buzzer-beater three to send it to overtime. Then Diego hit a buzzer-beater three to win the game.”
As the season comes to an end, Sparks commented on the team’s growth. Despite setbacks, the captains have been intentional in working to improve the team and uplift the players.
“There’s definitely been some ups and downs, but I think overall we’ve really done a good job of just learning from our mistakes and I think from the start of the season we’ve had a lot of growth. Like offensively, [at] the beginning of the season, we were kind of stagnant and we didn’t share the ball as well. But, I think now we’ve done a lot better at just moving the ball and just playing together as a team,” said Sparks.
A noteworthy tradition that the team captains have implemented is the talks before each game begins. Sparks discussed the importance of sharing feedback and coming together as one to begin the game.
Sparks said, “I’ll say before the game, after our layups, with a couple minutes left, we like to get huddled up around the free throw line and just kind of talk about the game and just like how we want it to go. So, I think just having that communication before the game and we’re all on the same page is super helpful.”
Part of a successful team is for players to hold accountability. Sparks mentioned providing each player feedback during practice and holding them to a standard that can lead to team success.
Sparks said, “Whether it’s talking to them through plays and on defense, just communicating with them and telling them where they need to go. When we’re watching film, just picking out stuff that we can do better.”
Andover will play Phillips Exeter Academy (Exeter) on Saturday, a game that will determine if Andover can proceed to the playoffs. Sparks talked about his aspirations to go into the playoffs and noted the team’s preparations.
Sparks said, “We’ve really been just preparing for that this week. Usually we’ll have a game on Wednesday or Friday, so it’s been good to just have the whole week to practice. Hopefully we’ll get into the playoffs once we win this game. So just taking advantage of every opportunity and really just treating every game now like a playoff game.”
