For The Tribune

There is no doubt what Gavin Henson’s favorite sport is.

Henson got started playing basketball in the Biddy Ball program in Medora at an early age and fell in love with basketball.

“I love to shoot, and I just love playing the game of basketball,” Henson said. “It gets me to do something besides staying home and watching TV. I like to get out there with my friends.”

This is his second season as a varsity starter for the Hornets. He plays on the wings and likes to shoot 3-pointers in games.

Henson said he feels like he can get an open shot against either a man or zone defense.

“I feel pretty comfortable driving to the basket,” Henson said.

His high-point games this season have been 15 against Martinsville Tabernacle and 14 versus Orleans.

He said he enjoys playing transition basketball, and when the Hornets are on defense, he likes the 2-3 zone.

Henson is 5-foot-11 and said he enjoys battling on the boards.

“This year, I’ve rebounded quite a bit,” Henson said. “I’m in the top three on the team.”

He enjoys the home games.

“I love them. I like to hear the fans,” Henson said. “I’m there to play for them.”

Medora has eight boy-girl double- and triple-headers this season.

“We’re supporting the girls, and they’re supporting us,” Henson said.

Henson said he thinks the team is fully capable of winning several games this winter.

“I think we have good talent,” he said. “We have to play a little harder. We have to come in with a good mentality. We come in kind of expecting to have a rough game. We need to come in as a team and make better decisions.

“We need to get off to a good start. The first part of the game we usually play decent, and the second half, we settle a lot, and we need to stop settling. We need to continue to play like it’s a very close game, no matter what. We need to play aggressive. We’re too soft.”

Next week, the Hornets will play in the Edinburgh Holiday Tournament, where they will play three games in two days, beginning with Edinburgh on Tuesday afternoon.

“I like that,” Henson said. “It’s fun. We play Edinburgh, and we don’t play them during the season. Those sunken gyms are my favorite gyms. I’d say Springs Valley is actually my favorite gym.”

Henson said he enjoyed playing at Hanover College during the summer.

“We went over there two or three summers ago,” Henson said. “We had a tournament there, and it was a lot of fun. It really showed us what other teams were like and stuff like that. We played bigger schools over there.

“Practice is very important. We’re getting used to each other now, getting the chemistry. We’re starting to figure out who can do what. Since we’ve got that, we just need to get some wins now. The mental part of sports is important. You’ve got to believe in yourself before you can do anything.”

Henson has attended Medora schools since kindergarten.

“I like having one-on-one with my teachers, and I like having closer friends,” Henson said. “We’re all friends in a way, I feel like. We all get along pretty well. I love it here.”

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Name: Gavin Henson

School: Medora High School

Parents: Jerry Henson, Tina Hammons

Sibling: Cory

Sports: Basketball, four years; track and field, two years

Athletic honors: Basketball-most improved, mental attitude

Organizations: Sports Club

Plans after high school: College or military

Favorite food: Steak

Favorite TV show: “The Punisher”

Favorite singer: Paul McCartney

Favorite movie: “Star Wars”

Favorite athlete: Paul George

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