2023 Rankings – Small School Stars
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While at some bigger schools it may take a top-talent a little longer to crack the varsity lineup, sometimes a young stud finds himself on the court early on at a smaller high school. Such was the case in 2019-2020,…
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Continue ReadingWhile at some bigger schools it may take a top-talent a little longer to crack the varsity lineup, sometimes a young stud finds himself on the court early on at a smaller high school. Such was the case in 2019-2020, when several freshmen from small schools got a ton of playing time and really made their marks.
Leading the small school charge were 3A honorable mention ballers Eli Sawyers Eli Sawyers 6'7" | SF Southeast Of Saline | 2023 State KS and Tyler Little Tyler Little 6'5" | PF Galena | 2023 State KS , #4 and #5 respectively in the rankings. Not far behind was Britton Dutton Britton Dutton 6'0" | SG Argo Comm | 2023 State KS , 2A honorable mention at #17.
Here are some of the small school stars in the first edition of the Kansas 2023 Player Rankings:
26 Brekyn Ratzlaff Brekyn Ratzlaff 6'0" | PG Hillsboro | 2023 State KS , guard, Hillsboro:
The 6-foot Ratzlaff earned honorable mention in 2A last year running at guard for Hillsboro. He will take over even more leadership next season, but the son of a coach will be ready. The 6-footer was sufficiently challenged last summer when he joined the aptly-named Oz Elite 2023 club. Ratzlaff is an elite ball handler who sees the court and can get the ball to where it needs to be.
34 Makaen Hastings Makaen Hastings 5'11" | PG Salina South | 2023 KS , guard, Solomon:
Hastings isn’t a big player, but he is a scoring machine. He is a 5-foot-7 jitterbug who can launch from anywhere. His quickness and low center of gravity give him an advantage to get the first step on a defender. Once he does, he can be gone in a flash. He can handle the ball, penetrate and dish with the best point guard, but he loves to fill it up. He earned honorable mention 1A as a rookie and could be one of the state’s leading scorers soon.
37 Jaxson Brandl Jaxson Brandl 6'2" | CG Greeley County | 2023 State KS , guard, Greeley County:
Another honorable mention guard in 1A, Brandl was the leading scorer among freshmen in the state with 21.2 points per contest. He has good size at 6-foot and can do a lot of things besides just score. He also pulled down 9.8 boards per game. Brandl and teammate Titus Sherer were the only freshmen to receive all Northwest Kansas League honors last year. They will team with two other returning all-league honorees – Alvero Bello-Marabe and Jacob Miller – to give Greeley County a formidable nucleus for next season.
38 Braxton Lafferty Braxton Lafferty 5'11" | CG Little River | 2023 State KS , guard, Little River:
Lafferty came in as a freshman and was a tremendous support to all-stater Jayden Garrison Jayden Garrison 6'2" | CG Little River | 2021 State KS and Trey Rolfs, who both return for another year. Lafferty earned honorable mention 1A for the 23-3 Redskins who won a game at state. Lafferty averaged 9.9 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. Look for Little River to be a favorite in the state this year.
42 Ryle Riddlesperger Ryle Riddlesperger 6'2" | PG Hugoton | 2023 State KS , guard, Hugoton (pictured):
Hugoton has some nice pieces returning in seniors Wyatt Angell, Sawyer Harper, Haden Daharsh and Jace Korf. Riddlesperger can bring a lot to the table as well. He showed at the Kansas Top 250 Expo that he is capable of competing with players from every level. He can really handle the ball and shoot it from anywhere. He has a nice collection of moves in the lane and a good jumper. He has a calm presence on the court, but he can put the ball on the floor and attack a defense and create openings.
43 Kamryn Kaniper Kamryn Kaniper 6'4" | SF Silver Lake | 2023 State KS , forward, Silver Lake:
The 6-foot-4 Kaniper is an athletic and versatile athlete. He can play any role on the court, guarding on the perimeter or in the post, handling the ball all over the court, and scoring from anywhere. He played a big role for the Eagles as a freshman and will do more this year. With his quickness, jumping ability, height and ability to shoot from deep, he will be a matchup nightmare.