Senior center Aidan Beck helped the Ankeny Christian Academy boys’ basketball team to a 17-8 record this season. The Eagles advanced to a Class 1A substate final before dropping a 66-46 decision to second-ranked Madrid on March 1 at the Knapp Center.
Beck averaged 9.0 points and a team-high 5.6 rebounds per game. He led the Eagles with 11 blocks and ranked third on the squad with 43 steals.
Here is some inside info on Beck:
Congratulations on an outstanding season. What was the highlight for you?
Definitely the highlight of my season was winning the Martensdale-St. Marys game (in the district final on Feb. 25), and celebrating afterwards in the locker room with the team and coaches. We sprayed water all over, and it was super hype knowing we would get to play at Drake.
You were one of only three returning varsity players from last year’s team that went 19-4. What kind of expectations did you have coming into the season?
Going into the season we felt pretty confident, even though we lost the starting five and some of the bench guys from last year. I felt that all the guys were ready to go and would want to win no matter what. A good reason why we felt confident going into the season was because of summer league, where we played extremely well. We played some good teams, having a good game against Knoxville and beating North Polk.
Your team got off to a 5-4 start before winning nine of its next 10 games. Did it take awhile for the team to build some chemistry?
I think we were still getting the hang of things at that point in our season. We were going through injuries and sickness with both starters and bench guys included. I felt like we had good chemistry going into the season thanks to summer league, but I also think there was some nerves there too because besides one guy–Hayden Davis–no one else had any meaningful varsity minutes before this season. We were all figuring it out together. I also feel like the coaches did a great job staying confident in our abilities as players and letting us figure things out.
I know you missed four games in early January when your team went 1-3 during that stretch. Were you injured or out with an illness?
I was sick when my team played Madrid, throwing up a couple times the night before. And then when I came back, I injured my lower back in practice.
You mentioned the game against Madrid on Jan. 6, when your team dropped a 70-67 decision. That was the closest game that the Tigers have had all season, so did that give your team some confidence going into the rematch against them in the substate final?
The Madrid game was a close one coming down to (the final buzzer). I felt like the first time we lost to them they had way too many second attempts mainly through offensive rebounds, helping them win that game.
You had six points and a team-high seven rebounds before fouling out in the substate final. What do you think was the biggest factor in Madrid’s win?
Going into that game our plan against Madrid was to try to get the ball out of the guards’ hands. So we had the post guys help up when they got in the lane. Madrid countered this pretty well by dumping it low, then either going up with it or kicking it out for 3-pointers. I felt like the biggest factor in their win, though, was their zone (defense). We practiced and prepared for man-to-man defense the week leading up to substate and when they went zone, we were unprepared and let them go up big in the first quarter. We eventually went on a run of our own, but they were really good at pushing the ball down the court for fast-break layups. Ultimately, I feel like the reason we couldn’t beat Madrid was our inability to hit open looks. We just couldn’t knock down shots when we needed to.
Did you enjoy playing at the Knapp Center? What was that like to play in a bigger arena?
Going into the substate game a lot of guys were nervous. It’s a huge arena, unlike anything we’ve ever played in before. But it was a great atmosphere. We had a bunch of our fans there to support us, and overall it was just a ton of fun.
The Class 1A state tournament begins on Wednesday with the quarterfinals. Are you planning to attend any of the games or watch them online?
I won’t be able to attend the games because I’m going on vacation for spring break.
Do you think Madrid has a good chance to win the title, and would you like to see the Tigers capture the crown?
I would like to see Madrid win. I feel like it would be a better feeling to lose to the state championship team than to a team that loses the first or second round at state. I also do think that Madrid can win it all with their fast-pace offense and ability to control the game.
What are your plans for next year?
I plan to work at Centurion Stone as an estimator, learning more about construction and getting into the trades. I also plan to keep hooping with some of the returning players for next year in the offseason, helping them prepare for next year.