Helton, a 5-foot-11 junior guard, is averaging 10 points and three rebounds per game this season, and at times has been the Aces’ MVP. He has been asked to play a number of roles, and according the LM coaching staff has responded very well on both sides of the floor. When the Aces needed scoring, he tallied 24 points in consecutive wins. He has also been one of the Aces’ better rebounders and three point shooters. Off the court, Helton is an excellent student. His father, Kyle Helton, was a star football player for Harriton in the early 1990s and is a member of the Harriton Wall of Fame.
Main Line Media News: What do you consider the strongest part of your game? What part of your game are you working the most on currently?
KJ Helton: My strongest part of my game is my ability to finish at the rim and my athleticism. On fast breaks normally I am a north to south guy and try to get results whether it’s a lay up or a foul. My athleticism and speed helps a lot in my game, getting loose balls, getting to the basket, playing defense. A big component to my game that I’m working on is a consistent 3 pointer. It has gotten a lot better since last year. I want to be automatic from three.
Main Line Media News: What (to you) has been the highlight of your basketball career at Lower Merion (to date)? Can you share with us your most vivid memory of that highlight?
KJ Helton: The second time we played Conestoga this year was a crazy moment. It was at their gym and it was kind of packed. In the first quarter, with about five seconds left, I got the ball. I was at the opposite free throw line with the defender in my face. I made a move, but with the clock winding down I had no choice but to shoot the ball. When I shot it, it didn’t come off right and it just went into the air. It went so high it almost hit the lights that were hanging from the ceiling. The gym just got quiet, people lost the ball in the air. I thought that there was no chance of the ball going in but then all of a sudden I just saw it come out the ceiling and it went right into the basket, and didn’t hit any rim. The gym went crazy!
Main Line Media News: What colleges are among your current favorites? What do you think you’d like to major in? Is there a career path that particularly interests you?
KJ Helton: When it’s my turn to go to college, I pray that I am able to get a full ride to a school for basketball. I want to get out of Pennsylvania and go to another state and get a new experience. Some of my favorite schools are Oregon, Florida State, UCLA, South Carolina, USC; there are a couple others too. I might major in business and have my own business. If basketball doesn’t work out for me, I want to have a good backup plan. I don’t want a regular 9-to-5 job. I want to be an innovator and do something different.
KJ Helton’s favorites
TV show: Martin.
Movie: All of The Fast and Furious.
Pre-game pump-up song: Lay Up – Future.
Athlete: Kevin Durant.
Person I most admire: “Muhammad Ali. He was just so good, he was disliked by people because of how cocky he was but he could back it all up with how he fought.’
Team: Oklahoma City Thunder.
Place to visit: Orlando, Fla.
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