“If you put a smaller guy on him, we can post him up,” Kenton Ridge coach Kris Spriggs said. “If you put a big guy on him, we can run him off screens and use his athletic ability. He does a great job distributing the ball. He can grab a rebound and go coast-to-coast. He’s a unique matchup for people.”
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Eberhart recently moved to the top of the program’s all-time scoring list.
Eberhart scored 27 points in Saturday’s 71-49 victory at Greeneview to become the boys all-time leading scorer at Kenton Ridge. The record of 1,074 points was previously held by 2002 graduate Andy Shelton.
“I’m just really honored,” Eberhart said. “There have been a lot of great players come through this school. It’s cool to know I’m on top now, but I’m still looking forward to the rest of the season.”
He poured in 25 points on Tuesday night in a 79-52 win over Northwestern, the team’s fourth straight victory. Eberhart now sits at 1,122 career points with 10 regular season games remaining.
“Each year he’s gotten better and better,” Spriggs said. “That’s what you like to see. We talk about getting better each day in practice and he’s done it and progressed. Season-by-season, he’s done the same thing.”
The University of Charleston commit is leading the conference in scoring (19.3 points per game) and rebounding (11.6 per game) and ranks second in blocked shots at 1.7 per game. He’s also shooting nearly 48 percent from the field.
Eberhart has “just always loved” basketball since he was a child, he said.
“My dad and I would just always be shooting outside in the driveway,” Eberhart said. “I started playing (Upward Bound) and I really just fell in love with it. I’ve always had a ball in my hands.”
As a freshman, Eberhart was a varsity player on the Cougars’ squad that went 0-21. He knew he had to get back in the gym to improve and help his team win.
“It was tough, but it was a learning experience,” he said. “It taught me how to work harder the next year. The next summer in the gym I got better, so it was a good experience.”
The Cougars have gone 38-20 as a program over the last three years. While he has enjoyed personal success, Eberhart wants nothing more than to help his team win and advance far into the postseason.
“I want to keep working hard and keep the winning streak going,” he said. “We’ve got four in a row. I think if we keep playing well, we can make a run to the districts.”
Eberhart is equally impressive off the floor, Spriggs said.
“He’s a great kid, a great student,” he said. “He does well in the classroom. His peers look up to him in the school. He’s a great role model.”
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