State Championships: Top Youngsters at 4A in Salina
SALINA, Kan. — There weren’t many surprises on Friday in the opening round of Class 4A Division I tournament on Friday at the Salina-Tony’s Pizza Event Center.
In the first game, Bishop Miege ran away from Labette County (15-8) and improved to 20-3 in the process. The Stags will play Andover Central who held off Piper, 68-60, in the day’s second game.
Top seeded McPherson improved to 21-1 with a a runaway win over Spring Hill, while Arkansas City put together a big fourth quarter to knock off Wamego in the nightcap, 45-29.
Here, Prep Hoops Kansas takes a look at some of the top young players in the field.
Tamar Bates, 6’3, G, 2021, KC Piper (pictured)
Just a freshman, Bates has a tremendous upside as a player. A 6’3 guard, e has a long, rangy build with long arms and a well-rounded skill set for a young player. He came off the Piper bench and despite logging just a little more than six minutes of court time in the first half, he led the Pirates with seven points. He has a good feel for the game, can create off the bounce and has a smooth looking perimeter shot.
Xavier Bell, 6’3, G, 2020, Andover Central
Kid combines good size and athleticism with a cool, calm demeanor on the floor. At 6’3, the sophomore has the ability to lead a team, set up others and takes care of the ball as a primary ball handler. He spends a lot of time running the point now and we see a player that could play the position at the next level someday.
Daniel Jackson, 6’0, G, 2020, Bishop Miege
He doesn’t get a lot of run just yet for Miege as the Stags have several talented guards playing ahead of him, but Jackson shows flashes of brilliance and takes advantage of his opportunities. Jackson is a good ball handler, shows good poise and lets things come to him on the court. He will likely play a much bigger role in the Miege backcourt next year and beyond as the team will lose several key guards to graduation.
Shomari Parnell, 6’0, G, 2020, Andover Central
Parnell has a tremendous amount of upside as an athletic guard, capable of making plays at the offensive end and playing lockdown defense at the other end of the court. He is probably at his best as a slasher and creating off the dribble, but also shows the ability to shoot from the outside and gets to the free throw line. He and Xavier Bell will be a tough 1-2 punch in the Andover Central backcourt in the future.12