Gavin Keller has been the steady force for the Hauser boys basketball team this year.
The Hauser senior is the team’s leading scorer offensively and a shut-down defender on defense. Keller has helped the Jets to another fast start at 11-2.
Keller started playing basketball around kindergarten after watching his brother Jamison play. Gavin decided to follow his brother’s footsteps. Soon after, he was hooked.
“I like the competitiveness and thought it was really rewarding,” Gavin Keller said.
Keller moved from role player to a starter and a top player on the team in a couple years. In fact, he was named as The Most Improved Player for the Jets the past three years.
Hauser coach Trent Moorhead mentioned Keller has two great qualities, and that’s wanting to win and defending his tail off.
“That tells you all you need to know about Gavin and the work that he has put in to maximize his potential for his senior year,” Moorhead said. “He’s always known what he is capable of, but he found the right role with our team. In years’ past, he’s worked incredibly hard to be able to take advantage of his expansive offensive role this year, while defense is still at the forefront of his game.”
Hauser’s Gavin Keller grabs a rebound ahead of Columbus North’s Jack Whaley Nov. 29 at Columbus North High School.
Tommy Walker | For The Republic
Keller leads the Jets with 20 points per game, double his average from last year. He’s third on the team this season in rebounding at 4.9 per game and 3.0 assists per game. He picked up much of the scoring slack this year after Hauser lost its top three scorers from last year.
“He’s put a lot of work into the weight room, his strength, his ability to finish through contact. He’s put a lot of work in over his ballhandling and being able to finish at the rim with either hand. He’s a good shooter. He knows that his advantage right now is is catching and attacking the basket. He’s done it really well,” Moorhead said. “It’s all been consistent. He’s a gym rat. He’s played with really good, competitive AAU teams that have helped him in the offseason and a lot of varsity experience leading up to this year has all paid off.
“He’s never been afraid of a matchup in four years. He’s always craved the tough matchup from the other team, and he’s thrived in that role because of the mentality that he’s got,” Moorhead added “He’s a winner. He wants to win at all costs, and he’s shown that by being a leader, a really lock-down defender. Whether it’s against a dominant shooter or somebody who gets to the rim, he’s always had the mindset that it doesn’t matter who the other team’s best player is, I can guard him.”
Gavin Keller
Despite losing five seniors, including three starters last year, it only made Keller and the rest of his teammates more hungry and the expectations that much higher. In the latest Jeff Sagarin Rating, Hauser is ranked third in Class A.
It was heartbreaking for the senior class to lose in the semistate to eventual Class A state champion Orleans last year as juniors.
“We lost five seniors, but we gained a lot of people, too,” Keller said. “We felt like we didn’t lose anything. It was more motivation, especially after that loss in semistate. We want to bounce back. I think that hunger will hopefully get us a state championship. That’s everybody’s goal since we lost in semistate.”
Keller announced Monday night that he has committed to continue his career at Hanover.
Keller and the Jets have aspirations to hang a banner above the center court of the gym. Keller said his success wouldn’t be possible without the help of his teammates, who all have played together for about a decade.
“They’re really encouraging me and have done a good job of getting me the ball,” Keller said. “We’ve been playing together since we were in elementary school. We’re all like best friends. We all love each other. We all hang out. We all go out to eat after games.”
Regardless of how his senior season ends, Keller is proud to be a Jet.
“I entered the program, and I want to leave it better than when I found it, and I grew up around it and it’s just home,” he said.
