By CONOR NICHOLL
Sports In Kansas looks at every boys’ basketball state qualifier. Check out girls’ state previews and coverage the rest of the week from state sites.
6A
1.Wichita Heights (20-2) – Wichita Heights won the 6A title last season with a 23-2 mark. Longtime coach Joe Auer has won six state titles. The Falcons also won in 2015, along with four straight from ’09-12. Heights has permitted just 40.6 points per game. TJ Williams has 16.2 points per game, Marcus Zeigler has 12.7 and Amalachi Wilkins has 10.2 points a contest. The Falcons are highly efficient shooters with Williams, Wilkins and Robinson all at either 60 or 61 percent. Williams has 7.1 rebounds per contest and 3.9 assists per game, both team-bests. Heights lost by one to Washburn Rural in December and split with Kapaun, including a 50-48 overtime loss to Feb. 23. Heights is an incredibly offensive efficient team with 1.13 points per possession. The Falcons are generally an upper-tier offensive rebounding team and collects 37 percent of available offensive rebounds. Heights plays at a more moderate pace with 54 possessions per game. Heights ended the regular season ranked No. 1 in the classification by the Kansas coaches.
8.Junction City (13-9) – The Bluejays are in the state tournament for the first time in 22 years. Junction City opened 5-0, including three wins of at least 75 points. JC tied its win total from last season. Nick Perez led the Bluejays to sub-state wins over Free State and Garden City. Division I football recruit Michael Boganowski is the leading scorer on the team while Jackson Austin is second.
4.Derby (16-6) – Derby won, 74-72, in four overtimes at Washburn Rural in the sub-state championship game. The Panthers qualified for state for the first time in five years. Derby is an excellent shooting team. Kaeson Fisher-Brown has 17 points per game. Dallas Metzger has 13.8 points a contest. Kaden Franklin is at 11.5 points a game. Franklin shoots 64 percent from the field and has 7.2 rebounds per game, both team-highs. Fisher-Brown has 3.6 assists and 1.9 steals a contest. Jack Ulwelling has made 44 percent of treys, Fisher-Brown with 38 percent and Metzger at 36 percent. Derby is ranked seventh in 6A.
5.Olathe North (16-6) – This marks Olathe North’s sixth all-time state appearance and fourth in the last eight seasons. ON opened 5-0. North has won a lot of close games. The Eagles have wins by one, one, four, four, six, three and six. ON’s close losses are from four and six points. ON is ranked tenth. Jaalan Watson is a standout player to watch for North as is TJ Porter.
2.Blue Valley North (19-3) – Blue Valley North went 21-3 and won the 6A championship in 2021. North opened 12-0 this season. North has eight seniors this year. North has averaged around 60 points per game. Blake Garrett, Jaxson Goldberg and Zach Sand lead the team in scoring. Goldberg is one of the top 6A athletes as a back-to-back 6a all-state WR in football and has signed to play Division I baseball at UCF. Third appearance in four years by HC Ryan Phifer.
7. Manhattan (14-8) – Manhattan is at state for a 30th time and third occasion in the last four years. The Indians, led by head coach Benji Goerge, ended the regular season with four straight wins. Key players are Dre Delort, Cole Coonrod, Collins Elumogo and Jack Wilson. The Indians won state football this fall for the first time since 1988.
3. Blue Valley Northwest (18-4) – BVNW features reigning 6A player of the year Grant Stubblefield, a Division I Nebraska-Omaha commit. Northwest is one of the state’s best programs in the last 15 seasons with five state titles. NW won in ’13, ’14, ’17, ’18 and ’19. Northwest has won 10 straight. Stubblefield has 17.6 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. Joey Matteoni has 17.4 points and has 11.1 rebounds. Northwest has shot 45 percent from the field. Landon Braun is the younger brother of former KU star and now NBA player Christian Braun.
6. Shawnee Mission Northwest (15-7) – Northwest opened the season 2-3 with three losses by a combined seven points and a seven-point victory versus Washburn Rural. Northwest took three losses in late January and has lost just once since. Northwest pulled a slight upset against Olathe West in the sub-state title game. Keaton Wagler leads the team in scoring at 12 ppg and Malik O’Atis, a multiple time SIK all-state selection in football, is the only senior on the roster. Van Collins also chips in 11 ppg.
5A
1.Topeka Highland Park (22-0) – Highland Park has led Kansas in scoring most of the year and has won six state titles, though the last came in 2009. The Scots have led Kansas in scoring for most of the year with 78 points a contest. That included a quality 80-52 win against St. James in the sub-state title game. HP is ranked first in 5A. Aldridge has 21 points per game. Tre Richardson has 3.7 steals per game, Aldridge has 3.3. Richardson is one of the states top multiple sport athletes with a lot of speed and athleticism. Jacorey Robinson and Jahmir Kingcannon are also players to watch for the Scots.
8. Basehor-Linwood (9-13) – Basehor-Linwood is at state for the first time since back-to-back years in 2019-20. The Bobcats have state championships in 2009 and ’12. Mike McBride is B-L’s longtime coach. Tyson Ruud has great size at 6’6″ and has been a standout for the Bobcats with over 20 ppg. Other key players are Breckin McBride, Brant Wilson, Micah Gibbs, Peyton Brown, Kaleb Scott and Will Bnaklenship.
4. Andover (20-2) – Andover is at state for the first time since its perfect year in the COVID Forever Four season. Andover is ranked fifth in 5A. The Trojans have won 18 in a row. Eli Shetlar has 17.2 points per game, while Brandon Redic has 10.8 points per game, and Blake Rucker has delivered 10.7. Shetlar has committed to Indiana State. His dad, Martin, coaches the Trojans.
5. Maize South (19-3) – This winter and 2015 are Maize South’s lone state appearances. Maize South is ranked fourth in 5A. Maize South went 3-0 against Andover Central, including the sub-state title game. All three wins were by a combined 12 points. Maize South was runner-up to Hutchinson at the Dodge City Tournament of Champions. Jaylen Maze has produced a big season. Isaiah Atwater is one of the state’s top point guards. Michael Kates is also having a big year.
2. Kapaun Mt. Carmel (21-1) – Coach Steve Eck has 1,020 wins across all levels, including high school and junior college. Last season, KMC was the No. 1 seed and lost to No. 8 Topeka Seaman, the eventual champion, in the quarterfinals. The Crusaders are ranked third. Six-foot-6 Will Anciaux is headed to Kansas State football. Will Thengvall is also a standout at 6’4″ as is Teagan Charles at 6’5″. Corbin Johnson also averages 11 ppg.
7. Blue Valley Southwest (14-8) – Southwest is headed to state for the third time in four years. Senior left-hander Jackson Noland tied a school record with seven treys in an 86-55 sub-state semifinal. Jackson Boncyznski also averages in double figures.
3. Hutchinson (21-1) – Hutchinson is probably the state’s most improved boys’ team. Since 2002, Hutchinson has three state appearances: ’09, ’21 and this year. Hutchinson is ranked second in 5A. Hutchinson won the Dodge City tournament of champions. The Salthawks have a plus-nine win improvement. Terrell King, Garrett Robertson and Wade Meyer are top players.
6. Pittsburg (17-5) – Mason English is the state’s top scorer among players that qualified for state with just over 28 points per contest. This marks Pittsburg’s 34th trip to state. Jordan Woods has done a great job since taking over for longtime successful coach Kiley Roelfs who is Woods assistant. Pittsburg also has some size and features Jackson Turnbull one of the better multiple sport athletes in the class at 6’5″. Turnbull averages over 11 poitns per game and has over seven rebounds per game. Dan Hastings has also had a big year for the team.
4A
1.Hugoton (20-2) – Since December, SIK has noted Hugoton as a legitimate 4A state contender. Hugoton opened 1-2 at the Hays City Shoot-Out with a defeat to 6A Olathe West and an overtime loss at Hays High. Since then, the Eagles have won 19 straight games. Coach Trey O’Neil, a former SIK 3A player of the year at Scott City, has led Hugoton to back-to-back state tournaments. Hugoton has five state berths since 2016. Hugoton is ranked fifth in 4A. Ryle Riddlesperger has 18 points per game, Carson Bennett has 16.4 points a contest.
8. Clay Center (9-13) – Clay Center, led by Travis Smith, ended one of the longest state tournament droughts with its first trips since 1967-68. Mark Hoffman averages around 12 points per game. Cole Pladson and Jace Weller have also had big years. Clay Center was the 12 seed of 16 teams on the west entering sub-state. What a year it has been for football and basketball so far for CC.
4. Eudora (18-4) – Eudora qualified for state in back-to-back years for the first time since 1924-26. Eudora is ranked third in 4A. Fourth state trip since 2014 under Kyle Deterding. Logan Sulluvan averages over 19 ppg while Cole Parker and Conor Dunback are also around double figures per game.
5.Baldwin (18-4) – Baldwin is in the state tournament for the first time in seven years and second time since 2000. Caleb Carr is a standout for the Bulldogs and became the schools all-time leader in steals earlier this season, he also averages nearly 18 points per game.
2. McPherson (19-3) – McPherson has won 13 state titles, the last coming in 2015 with longtime coach Kurt Kinnamon. This is the Bullpups’ 59th all-time state appearance, second-most in Kansas history. McPherson is tied for second all-time with 13 state titles. Kinnamon has won six, the last coming in ’15. McPherson is ranked second in 4A. In a 49-37 sub-state title win against Andale, Gabe Pyle finished with 16 points, and Kyden Thompson delivered 10. McPherson held Andale to 33 percent shooting.
7.Wellington (15-7) – Wellington boys and girls qualified for state in the same year for the first time in school history. The Crusaders were a SIK Potential Breakout Team in December. Wellington has a plus-nine win improvement from a 6-15 season. As Sumner Newscow reported, Wellington defeated Circle, 65-41, in the sub-state. Circle had beat Wellington, 66-35, earlier this season. Sophomore Carter Barnett, who missed the Circle loss, returned with 16 points on 6 of 12 shooting. As well, Wellington beat Wichita Collegiate, 50-49, at the buzzer, the first ever win versus the Spartans. Wellington had lost to Collegiate earlier in the season.
3. Atchison (19-3) – Atchison is at state for the first time in eight years. The Phoenix are ranked first in 4A. Jesse Greenly is a nice multiple sport athlete that has been one of the better players in the class this season, he’s also a first team all-state football player. Jeter Purdy is also a standout player for Atchison.
6. Bishop Miege (16-6) – Miege has won seven state titles, including the last two. Bishop Miege is ranked fourth in the classification. Aidan Wing has 20 points a contest and stands 6’6″. Daegan Jensen is also a player to keep an eye on with 6’3″ size. Mac Armstrong, the 4A SIK POY in football, is also capable of lighting it up in the scoring column as is Jason Rodriguez.
3A
Classification Note: Both No. 1 Sabetha and No. 3 Haven did not make the state tournament.
1.Galena (23-0) – Galena lost in double overtime to Thomas More Prep-Marian in a 3A quarterfinal classic last winter. Impressively, Galena is undefeated after it replaced two-time 3A player of the year Brett Sarwinski. Galena is at state for a fourth straight season. Tyler Little is a four-year starter, multiple time all-state selection in multiple sports at 6-foot-6, 240. He has signed with Arkansas State football. Galena is long with several players 6’4″ and above. Jack Perry is also a nice sharpshooting sophomore at 6’4″. Maverick Harmon, Malachi Wesley, Ty Hall also add some length for Galena.
8. Wellsville (18-5) – Wellsville is at state for the 22nd time. Willie Dorsey has 15 points a game. Dylan McCarty has 8.7 rebounds per game.
4. Marysville (21-2) – Marysville is at state for the first time in five years. Marysville has 58 points per game. Jack Lauer and Peyton Smith led a 53-19 sub-state semifinal win versus Atchison County. Marysville then defeated Nemaha Central in the sub-state title game. In the semifinals, NC knocked off undefeated and No. 1 ranked Sabetha, 59-51.
5. Wichita Collegiate (20-3) – Coach Mitch Fiegel has the youngest team in his long Spartan tenure. Collegiate has won six state titles, the last coming in 2016. Jaden Parker, AJ Batiste and Sebastian Hines-Turner are all standout freshmen.
2. Southeast of Saline (22-1) – Southeast of Saline finished third in 3A last winter. SES is ranked second in 3A. SES has 12 straight wins. Eli Sawyers has 15.5 points a game, Nakari Morrical-Palmer has 13.8 points and Luke Gebhardt has 8.3 points a game. Morrical-Palmer shoots 56 percent from the field, Sawyers has 55 percent shooting and Gebhardt has 49 percent shooting. SES has 1.08 points per possession and allowed .69 points per possession. The Trojans have a very low turnover rate at 14.3 percent.
7. Perry-Lecompton (19-4) – Matt Simmons has enjoyed an impressive turnaround with the Kaws. Since 1982, P-L has made state three times: 2018, ’19 and this season. Kam Kaniper has hit two buzzer-beater shots and has 18.7 points per game. P-L defeated Heritage Christian, 73-66, in overtime. Gunnar Ball had 27 points, Kaniper with 18, Jack Golden at 13 and Kael Gorski with 10 in the win. Simmons was a former WAC player of the year at Great Bend and MIAA defensive player of the year at Fort Hays. In the sub-state semifinals, Kaniper has 16 points, Ball had 14. In a 67-36 win against Jefferson West, Ball delivered 31 points, 14 rebounds and four steals. Kaniper had 18 points, six rebounds, five steals and four assists.
3. Hesston (22-1) – Hesston has won five state titles, including the last two with 23-1 and 25-1 marks. Hesston alumnus and former assistant Garrett Roth took over the program after the Swathers graduated four starters. Jake Proctor has delivered a huge season. Hesston lost the season-opening game, 56-46, to Southeast of Saline and has won every game since. Hesston averages 59 points per game. Proctor has averaged 21 points a contest, which has ranked in the top-15 for all classes. Hesston is ranked third.
6. Colby (20-3) – Colby is at state for the second time since 2008. The Eagles are ranked eighth in 4A. The Eagles have won seven in a row and won the first 11 games this year. Colby had a plus-12 improvement from last season. Coach Parker McKee has led a huge turnaround. He has led both Colby boys and girls teams to the state tournament in his coaching tenure. Hunter Vaughn is one of the best players in 4A. Ben Busse transferred in from St. Francis and has had a big impact.
2A
No. 1 Lyndon did not make the state tournament.
1.Wichita Independent (21-2) – This season marks Independent’s third state trip after 2013 and ’22. Independent is ranked fourth in 2A. Independent has won seven straight contests. Independent has 63 points per game. Independent has a four-win improvement from last year.
8. Pittsburg-Colgan (11-11) – Colgan qualifies for state in the first year after legendary coach Wayne Cichon retired. Cichon won five titles, all in a 12-year stretch from ’96-08. First year head coach Clint Heffern battled through a very good CNC league so the record can be a bit deceiving. Colgan doesn’t have just one star but Jack Schremmer leads the team in scoring at 12 ppg. Multiple sport standout Tucker Harrell chips in 11 ppg and Tristan Voss adds 10.
4. Bennington (19-4) – This is Bennington’s third all-time appearance and first in 15 years. Eli Lawson has 18.8 points per game, Mister Smith has 15.1 points per contest, and Talan Pickering has 9.7 points a game.
5. Medicine Lodge (17-6) – Medicine Lodge is at state for the first time in a decade. Joe Dohrmann is the head coach of the Indians as they return to state for the first time since 2009. Kaveon Ruiz and Derrek Randels lead the Indians in scoring, both in double figures. Other standouts are Carter Cunningham, Al Nittler, Jake Fisher, Kye Gerdes, Easton Hrenchler, Jace Cox.
2. Thomas More Prep-Marian (21-2) – TMP has three Final Fours under coach Bill Meagher, including the last two. The Monarchs have not made a final since a 2007 4A state championship. TMP is ranked second in the classification. Senior forward Dylan Werth has cleared 1,000 career points and 500 rebounds. Senior Kade Harris is a multiple-year basketball starter and started for four years in football. Harris has signed with Fort Hays football. Luke Rome, Griffin Schumacher and Landon Rozean are among other key players. TMP has won three games because of buzzer-beating/no time left shots and has another one-point victory. Werth has 16 points per game. Both of TMP’s losses came to 6A teams in December at the Hays City Shoot-Out. For the second straight year, the Monarchs did not lose a Mid-Continent League regular season or tournament game.
7. Horton (15-8) – Since 1957, Horton has three state appearances: ’98, ’08 and this year. Coach David Losey led a plus-eight win improvement that featured a 57-35 sub-state title win versus Riverside. Gannon Becker averages nearly 14 ppg while Luke McAfee adds nine. First winning season in six years. Other key players are Kaden Smith, Donte Masqua, Cooper Wischrop.
3. Moundridge (20-3) – Moundridge is at state for the first time in a decade under legendary coach Vance Unrau, who has announced his retirement at the end of the year. He has five state titles: ’90, ’91, ’92, ’93 and ’97. Sophomore Bear Moddelmog is among the standouts along with Landon Kaufman, Logan Churchill and Henry Hecox. Logan Churchill also went over 1,000 points this season. His uncle is Jacy Holloway, former Iowa State star, who led Moundridge to four state titles from 1990-1993 as a player. His mother (Tara) is a Kansas Sports Hall of Famer.
6. St. Marys (16-7) – Former K-State player Will Spradling again has St. Marys in the state tournament. St. Marys was second to Hillsboro last winter in basketball and won state football over Inman. Keller Hurla was the starting quarterback and Top 11 all classes in football. Hurla very well could be the best player in the class and leads St. Marys with 25 points per game. Brady Hurla adds 13 points per game while Kason Gomez is also a player to watch. In his six years at SM, Spradling has won exactly 100 games, three league titles, played in five sub-state title games, made a COVID Forever Four as a No. 8 seed and a state runner-up.
1A-1
1.Olpe (21-2) – Olpe has won back-to-back 1A-I state championships, last season in dominant fashion. Those are the lone two state boys’ basketball titles. Olpe is ranked first in 1A-I. Blake Skalsky is a top player after the Eagles graduated four starters. Olpe had the state’s longest winning streak at 42 straight before a Feb. 3 loss. Longtime coach Chris Schmidt has multiple football and basketball championships. Blake Redeker, Ethan Redeker, Andrew Foraker, Andon Temeyer, Garrett Cole, Dexton Holeting, Blake Skalksy, Truman Bailey and Darren Heins are key players for the Eagles.
8. Centralia (15-8) – Centralia returns to state for the first time in five years. Throw out the record as they play in a very solid league and play solid competition all season long. Brock Reinecke, Reese Tanking, Brock Kramer and Trenton Talley are key players for the Panthers. Talley scores nearly 15 ppg.
4. Wichita Classical (21-2) – This marks Classical’s second all-time appearance after 2021. Classical is ranked fourth. Jordy Dolloff and Brett Buckingham average in double figures.
5. McPherson-Elyria Christian (20-3) – Elyria Christian is state for a third time after 2018 and ’21. Ty Romero scores 17 points per game for the team while Johnny Unruh, James Schott, Caleb Laney, Landon Schneider and Alex Robertson are also key players.
2. Macksville (21-2) – Macksville took third at state last year. The Mustangs have a bevy of three- and four-year starters. The Mustangs will face Central Prairie League foe La Crosse in the first round. On Jan. 31, Macksville forced 27 turnovers and beat La Crosse, 69-37. Longtime Mustang coach Jeff Kuckelman has state titles in 2006 and ’11. Macksville is ranked third. Including a bye, the Mustangs have 10 straight wins. The top-five scorers all average between 11.9 and 8.6 points per game: senior Rogelio Ibarra, sophomore Diego Esparza, senior Alexis Barron, senior Ryan Kuckelman and senior Lance Lickiss. The 6-foot-6 Kuckelman has 8.4 rebounds per game, Lickiss with 6.9. Esparza has 3.5 assists a contest, Lickiss with 3.2. Like La Crosse, Macksville plays at extremely fast tempo with 64 possessions per game, .99 points per possession scored and .65 allowed. Macksville forces steals on 22 percent of possessions, an elite rate.
7. La Crosse (18-5) – La Crosse is at state for the first time since 1991. La Crosse had a plus-nine improvement over last season. The Leopards trailed Quinter 21-7 and came back to win 59-57. Chet Irvin, who had 16 treys in the season’s first 16 games, hit five in the Quinter win. Caden Morgan, an excellent three-sport athlete, leads with 14 points per game. Senior Bryce Conner missed all of last season with injury and has made a big impact with 8.4 points and 3.5 assists. Gage Burk is the emotional leader with 8.7 points and 6.2 rebounds. La Crosse plays a flying pace with more than 60 possessions per game. Coach Kyle Schmidt has assistants Colin Schmidtberger and Richard Schmidt. Kyle Schmidt and Schmidtberger were best friends growing up in Victoria. In 2011, they helped the Knights end a 20-year state drought as players. Richard Schmidt, a longtime Rush County coach, coached the 1991 La Crosse team.
3. Clifton-Clyde (21-2) – Clifton-Clyde is at state for a fifth time and first since two years ago. C-C is ranked second in the classification. C-C knocked off Blue Valley 59-40 in the sub-state title game. They were also league champs for the first time since 2001. Seth LeClair, a standout football player, is the lone senior on the team led by Coach Steinbrock. Jack Skocny, Lecalair, Trent Long, Drayden Reed and Coy Steinbrock are all key players to keep an eye on.
6. Montezuma-South Gray (20-3) – Longtime coach Mark Applegate has more than 760 career victories. SG took second to Olpe in each of the last two seasons. Applegate has led the Rebels to 10 state finals. SG has won state championships in 1997, ’07, ’08 and ’18. The five starters are junior Joey Dyck, junior Dominic Martin, Sam Moore, Carter Jantz and Jorge Lupercio. South Gray won the Southern Plains Iroquois midseason title. SG opened a rare 1-2 and is possibly the smallest team Applegate has ever had. However, the Rebels are long known for shooting, and this team again can shoot well. Both South Gray teams qualified for state. Half of the boy and girl starters were in the gym coaching the K-2 kids less than 24 hours after the sub-state title games.
1A-II
1.Tribune-Greeley County (22-1) – Greeley County famously won the 1A-II state title on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Lincoln Shafer. The Jackrabbits have seven seniors, led by returning player of the year Jaxson Brandl. He has cleared 2,000 career points and is in the top-20 scoring in Kansas history. Greeley County is ranked No. 1 in the classification. Brandl averages 27 points, fifth-most in Kansas. He has 10.5 rebounds and 3.4 steals per game. Valentin Villalbos has four assists a contest. Lincoln Shafer and Titus Sherer both have 3.5 assists a contest.
8. Southern Cloud (12-11) – Southern Cloud is the agreement between Glasco and Miltonvale. This marks the first appearance for either school since 1988, and first for Southern Cloud. The team has seven players. Father Roger Perkins and son Ryan Perkins coach the team. Ryan Perkins was a tremendous Southern Cloud football player with more than 400 career tackles. Levi Cool and Trenton Welch lead the team in scoring while Kye Chase leads the team in rebounding.
4. Stafford (18-5) – Stafford, led by head coach Cole Smith who also works for the towns police department, is at state for the first time since 1947. Stafford is ranked seventh in 1A-II. Joshua Hildebrand has 9.9 rebounds a contest. Brody Kerschenske has 7.8 rebounds per game. Stafford finished with six straight wins. Dakota Rodriguez has 11.2 points a contest, Colson Minks with 11 points a game. Hildebrand has 9.2 points and leads the team in rebounding and field goal percentage (56 percent). Minks has three assists a contest.
5. Coldwater-South Central (17-7) – This winter and 2020 are South Central boys’ lone state appearances. Bud Valerius has his team in the state tournament after three years. Gavin Uhl, Heath Howell, Jamie Sarmiento, Jack Herd, and JT Prusa are standouts for the Timberwolves. Uhl and Sarmiento lead SC in scoring.
2. Axtell (20-4) – Axtell was a SIK Potential Breakout Team in December. Axtell has back-to-back undefeated state championship Eight-Man, Division II football teams. The Eagles are at state for the first time in five years. Axtell has two all-time final fours, in 1985 and 2013. Axtell is ranked third in 1A-II. Axtell has a plus-eight wins jump from last season. The Eagles twice defeated rival Hanover by a combined five points, including 56-52 in the sub-state title game. Key players for Axtell and head coach Jason Tynon are football stars Isaac Detweiler and Brandon Schmelzle as well as Eli Broxterman, Colin Shaughnessy, Grady Buessing, Grant Buessing, Evan Buessing and Landon Schmitz.
7. Bucklin (15-9) – Bucklin qualified for the state tournament in back-to-back years for the first time in school history. Bucklin finished fourth last winter. Coach Derek Bevan has done a nice job replacing Scott Price (player of the year finalist) and Nathan Bowman off last year’s team. Jaron Lindsay has 12.5 points per game, Garin Stimpert has 12.1 points a contest, and Andrew Bowman has 11.5 points a game. Lindsay has shot 61 percent from the field. Bucklin has 59 points per game. The Red Aces have shot 474 treys this year and are much more inside-centric. Last year’s team shot 782.
3. Beloit St. John’s/Tipton (19-5) – Veteran coach Lance Bergmann has BSJT back to state for the fifth time in the last nine seasons. This is Bergmann’s 14th season leading the program. He has a first, second and third place finish. BSJT was 10-11 last season. Seniors Luke Bates, Josh Towner and junior Daniel Eilert all return. Plus sophomore Tyson Gates and junior Koevin Schroeder were back. BSJT has won 11 straight. Daniel Eilert has 12.8 points a game. Edward Horinek has 10.5, and Luke Bates has 8.5.
6. Lebo (16-7) – The Wolves return to state for the first time since 2020 and No. 15 overall. The Wolves are 4-10 all-time in first round games with no final fours since 2005. Landon Grimmett, Grayson Shoemaker and Zach Oswald are standout players for the Wolves.
*-We encourage coaches to send in stats and info on their teams all-season. Info can be sent to sportsinkansas@gmail.com and cnicholl@gmail.com
