On the rise: Read about Ben Holt College Prep Academy's basketball star Tayden Collins
The fate of Ben Holt College Prep Academy’s boys basketball season sits upon a 6-foot-5, 195-pound senior. His name is Tayden Collins and in his final year as a Bobcat, he is looking to lead them to Golden One Center.
“I want to make it to sections and play on the big stage the big Golden One Center,” Collins said. “Since I’ve been trying to take over I have more confidence in my shot, dribbling, running faster, jumping, and all that. I think we can really make it somewhere.”
So far this season Collins is managing the weight gracefully helping BHCPA to a 6-2 overall record. He is leading his team to dubs and putting this small Stockton-based charter school on the map. Collins is ranked fifth in the state for points per game and first in the entire Sac-Joaquin Section averaging around 32 points per game.
For three years the do-it-all combo guard has slowly been coming into his own and this lights-out shooting performance may just be the start.
It’s his time to shine
Three years ago when Collin's dad, Tyrone Collins, and BHCPA boys basketball head coach Austin Allen took over the program they finished with a 19-7 overall record. The solid start earned the Bobcats an SJS Division 5 playoff appearance. This was Tayden’s first time in postseason play as just a sophomore who was already leading them in scoring.
He and the Bobcats didn’t have enough to get past the first round due to lack of experience, according to Allen. Their playoff woes poured into the 2022-23 season with another first-round playoff loss this time against Sonora in the SJS Division 4 bracket.
“Last year it came down to the last three minutes of the game and we turned the ball over,” Allen said. “You can’t move like that in the playoffs, the competition is a lot thicker. But now that most of our guys are seniors and have been with the program for three years hopefully that will start paying off dividends in the playoffs.”
In those first two playoff appearances for BHCPA, Tayden was still finding his rhythm on the court. He averaged 17.3 points per game in his sophomore season and followed that up with over 20 points per game the next season. By then he had expanded his game beyond knocking down shots.
As a junior, he led the Bobcats in rebounding and blocks showcasing he could be the team's big man just as much as he could be its scoring guard. Now as a senior, Collins thinks his son’s game is reaching new heights.
“He shot up to 6’5" at an early age and he was still trying to catch up to himself,” Collins said. “This year he’s not passive, he’s willing to take over the game when he needs to take over the game so it’s been a huge difference from last year. He’s got nothing to lose this year he’s going to put it all out there.”
For the love of basketball
Aside from his dad, Tayden’s cousin and fellow BHCPA teammate, Jason Collins has gotten to watch Tayden’s skills evolve the most.
“We’ve been playing together since we could dribble the ball,” he said. “Whether that was playing together or playing against each other we’d always compete. I’m proud of him and I love to see him shining this year. I got to use my skills to help highlight his this season.”
Both athletes are seniors, which means this will be their final season of playing the game they love together. Jason acts as his cousin's right-hand man when opponents bring the double team on him. Along with him, Tayden has a host of other upperclassmen he can kick the ball out to score if need be.
Getting his teammates more involved is one of the things Tayden is hoping to do more this year. According to him, he feels that it could be the difference maker when it comes to making a deeper run in postseason play.
“We need a lot more teamwork this year,” Tayden said. “I’m trying to talk more on the court offensively and defensively as well as trying to get involved more with motivating my teammates on the bench.”
Currently, the Bobcats have two players nearing double-digit scoring in junior Truc Huynh and sophomore Asa Gonsalves who are averaging close to seven points apiece. Luckily for them, if all else fails, they have a combo guard who is willing to do whatever it takes to win and has a true passion for hoops.
“I love basketball,” Tayden said. “I’ve been playing it for a long time and I think I’m good. I think I can make it somewhere. I want to take basketball as far as I can go whether it’s D3, NAIA, or the NBA.”
Record reporter Shannon Belt covers sports. She can be reached at sbelt@recordnet.com or on Twitter @ShannonBelt3. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.
This article originally appeared on The Record: Tayden Collins of BHCPA boys basketball is a hidden gem in the area
