STATE TOURNAMENT: Class 5A Most Underrated
EMPORIA, Kan. — The opening day of the Kansas Class 5A state championships saw several big performances from a host of players who have made a name for themselves this season. On the day, Maize knocked off St. James; Andover…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingEMPORIA, Kan. — The opening day of the Kansas Class 5A state championships saw several big performances from a host of players who have made a name for themselves this season.
On the day, Maize knocked off St. James; Andover Central got past Pittsburg; Bishop Carroll ran away from Bonner Springs; and Basehor-Linwood defeated Salina Central.
Here, Prep Hoops takes a look at several of the most underrated athletes who competed at Emporia this weekend.
Ben Driver, 6’1, G, 2019, Salina Central
Also a football standout who has signed to play at Kansas State, Driver isn’t a big scorer, but he is tough as nails and works hard at both ends of the floor. Driver is a tough defender, can score in transition and finishes well, and get a hard fought rebound in traffic. He is
Brandle Easter Jr., 6’2, G/F, 2019, Maize
One of the state’s most unique players, Easter has thrown out the new-school chuck 3-pointers approach that is all the rage in the modern game, instead opting for a hybrid guard/forward approach. Easter has good size and strength for a guard at 6’3 and is a terrific post-up player with a good feel for scoring in the paint. But he can also handle the ball, shoot the mid-range and attack players off the dribble as well. He is a strong rebounder, a terrific passer who sees the floor, and has a knack for making plays.
Gunner Lynch, 6’1, G, 2019, Bishop Carroll
Playing on a well-balanced and deep Bishop Carroll squad, it was Lynch who played a team-high 25 minutes and tied for the team lead with 19 points despite coming off the bench in the Golden Eagles’ runaway win over Bonner Springs in Thursday’s semifinal contest. Lynch is a strong, athletic guard with good size at 6’1 and brings toughness to both ends of the court. He can knock down an open 3-pointer, handle the ball, post up a smaller defender and is terrific moving off the ball, setting up opponents with back cuts and getting easy chances in the lane.
Cade McGaugh, 6’4, G, 2019, Maize
A talented guard with good size and a terrific all-around skill set, McGaugh has battled injuries throughout his high school career and he put together one of his best games of the season as he lit up the score board in just 13 minutes of action in a quarterfinal win over St. James on Thursday at Emporia, scoring 14 points on 4 of 6 shooting. He is an athletic player who can create offense off the bounce, get to the basket and finish, but can also shoot from distance. His 14 points were second on the Eagles.
Connor Younger, 5’11, G, 2022, Basehor-Linwood
Younger is a smooth left hander who is a streaky shooter, has a quick shooting stroke and has the ability to light up a scoreboard quickly when he gets hots. Younger can handle the ball, can get to the basket and finish in traffic and is a strong playmaker, able to find the open man and create for others.