Pueblo Central's Kadyn Betts is the man in the middle for his basketball team and school

There's more to Pueblo Central High School's Kadyn Betts than just being a 6-foot-8 basketball player.

Much more.

Sure, Betts plays basketball and is tall. He scores myriad points, garners countless rebounds, and blocks shots. He's the man in the middle for the basketball team.

He's being recruited by several NCAA Division I men's basketball teams as well as schools from other levels.

But for the junior, basketball is just a sliver of what he stands for.

He's the man in the middle for his team, school, and classmates.

A student-body leader

Betts takes academics seriously. He's a straight-A student and a junior class president.

Much of his time is spent cracking the books, planning dances, and representing the junior class at Central.

"I have to plan prom, have to show up to all the events, somebody who has to represent juniors," he said. "I'm just a fun guy."

"He's got a lot going for him," Central head coach Bobby Tyler said. "He's pulled in so many directions. And on top of that, I'm always telling him he needs to concentrate on basketball."

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A basketball workaholic

Betts attacks the game of basketball the same way he attacks his schoolwork.

With a mother who is a teacher and a father who is a state patrolman, Betts starts the day early.

He's up by 6 a.m. and at the gymnasium by 7 a.m. where he shoots free throws.

Betts explained what one of his typical days is like.

"I get up early go to school before it starts," Betts said. "I work out with either Coach Tyler or Coach (Michael) Ranson every morning. I come in at lunch and shoot free throws or 3s depending on the day.

"I lift (weights) with Coach Tyler and do classes, then go to practice, go home and get ready for the next day."

Tyler said despite how much time Betts puts in, it seems he "never gets tired."

"We had a tough practice a couple of weeks ago during the day and he wanted me to come to the gym and shoot for another two hours," Tyler said.

"He's goal-oriented and organized."

Betts has to be with all he has on his plate.

A high ceiling

Only a junior, Betts has plenty of room to grow before he enters the collegiate game. With that in mind, the weight room has become his friend. And he's been able to handle the pressure of being a high-profile recruit.

"I tell myself there's no pressure because I love doing this every day," he said. "I wake up to play basketball every day and there's no pressure to that."

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"He's starting to realize what the weight room has done for him," Tyler said. "He's figured out how important it is to take care of your body and get stronger."

Betts knows he has room to grow and works at his craft.

"I'm still trying to get a lot better at my ball handling," Betts said. "And I want to get my 3-point shot better."

This season, Betts is averaging a double-double. Entering the Feb. 15 game against Pueblo South, he was first in the state in blocks (3.5) in Class 4A, second in rebounding (12.2) and fourth in scoring (22.2).

And he's unselfish.

In a recent game against Centennial when told he had scored 33 points, Betts commented: "I don't care about the points, I need to get some more boards (rebounds)."

Dealing with recruiting

Betts receives texts, emails, and phone calls from university and college men's basketball programs from around the country.

"Every day," he said about the contacts. "It's texts and phone calls. They ask me how my day is going, what the schedule is looking like for the rest of the week, and what I'm working on that week."

Betts keeps the recruiting process in perspective.

"I just keep telling myself how blessed I am," he said. "Not a lot of kids are in this situation. I know I work hard at it but I'm just blessed to be in this situation."

Learning from his father Kevin

Kadyn's father, Kevin, played at Pueblo Central and went on to play collegiately at San Diego State University. He was one of Pueblo's most successful basketball players.

Kadyn gets plenty of advice from his father. And listens.

"He tells me to pick a program where I'll play right away and I have a great relationship with the coaches and fit in with their style of play," Betts said.

Chieftain senior sports reporter Jeff Letofsky can be reached by email at jletofsky@chieftain.com or on Twitter @jeffletofsky

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo's Kadyn Betts is the man in the middle for Central basketball