Kansas Tuesday Roundup 12/22: Pre Holiday Hoops!
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On the final night of basketball action in the state of Kansas we got a couple of highlight performances from some great players. The marquee matchup that I was able to find was between Shawnee Mission Northwest (SMNW) and Shawnee…
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Continue ReadingOn the final night of basketball action in the state of Kansas we got a couple of highlight performances from some great players. The marquee matchup that I was able to find was between Shawnee Mission Northwest (SMNW) and Shawnee Mission East (SME), and the game produced some high quality performances. Positive momentum heading into this break in the season is always coveted by players and coaches, and these players helped themselves and their teams get a taste of what is to come in January.
Big Time Matchup Between SMNW and SME Brings Out The Best
Top Performance on the Night
Damare Smith Damare Smith 5'10" | PG Shawnee Mission Northwest | 2022 State KS , 6’ 2022 Guard, SMNW: Smith made a statement heading into the winter break by putting on his best performance of the season, dropping 38 points on the night and was in the zone the entire ball game against a really good Shawnee Mission East team. He put together the whole repertoire in the ball game, the 3 ball, pull up mid range, attacking the paint, and finishing at the foul line. Game in and game out during this first portion of the year, Smith continues to show why he is one of the top point guards in Kansas. Not only can he score the ball, but his overall play making and getting other guys great looks when pulling help over is top notch. Smith’s play of the night for me was a drive on the baseline, he spun back middle, sucked the defense in and whipped a dime to Wagler for a knock down 3. Kid is Big time.
Other Notables
Preston Reynolds Preston Reynolds 6'4" | CG Shawnee Mission East | 2021 State KS , 6’4 2021 Guard, SME (Pictured): The East, Northwest game was played at an extremely high level, and its no surprise with the amount of talent involved. Reynolds brought it from all aspects of the game for East in this one. Reynolds finished with a nice line, scoring 16, grabbing 4 rebounds, handing out 5 assists, and bringing on the defensive side of the court adding a steal and a block. The 6’4 guard is versatile which I think will give him an opportunity to make noise throughout the season and his ability to impact the game in multiple ways like he did last night, will set him up for a big second half of the season.
Landon Wagler Landon Wagler 6'8" | PF Shawne Mission Northwest | 2022 State KS , 6’5 2022 Wing, SMNW: The 6’5 Wagler is another versatile player who’s ability to score the ball is just another massive plus on other ways he impacts the game. Last night he scored 21 in the huge win over SME, but his ability to rebound, cause disruption on defense, and make the appropriate passes is what I really like about his game as well. He did a good job last night locating himself in open spots, especially as Smith got going and he rewarded the guard knocking down 2 pure looking 3 balls. Wagler also did a great drop of touching paint on his drives and making plays for others off those, and at his size, makes him hard to stop from influencing the game on the offensive end.
Dante Wheatcroft, 6’5 2022 Wing, SMNW: Another long versatile player for SMNW, Wheatcroft put together a great performance in the matchup with East. The lefty knocked down two threes on the evening and he has a great looking shot from deep that he gets off quickly, and with his length, is tough to contest. Wheatcroft finished with 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists in the game and on the defensive end of the floor, used his length to grab a steal, block a couple shots, while disrupting a couple of more.
Will Townsend Will Townsend 6'8" | PF Shawnee Mission East | 2021 State KS , 6’7 2021 Forward, SME: Townsend coming in to the season was set to have a big year after a tremendous summer and fall campaign, and in this short span he has not disappointed. In his 23 point performance last night against SMNW, he showed off the footwork, balance, touch, and explosiveness that he has in his offensive game. The 6’7 forward also had a couple of assists on the night and he is a great passer from the mid and low posts. Townsend is a very physical player on both ends of the floor and a great rebounder, and on the night he finished with 7 boards.
Night Before Holiday Standouts From Around Kansas
Dawson Zenger Dawson Zenger 6'1" | CG Rock Creek | 2021 State KS , 6’2 2021 Guard, Rock Creek: Zenger and his Rock Creek team put on a tremendous performance last night against Council Grove. In only 3 quarters of action, Zenger put up 20 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and dished out 7 assists. Zenger was able to show he is more than just a bucket getter last night.
Javon Grant Javon Grant 5'11" | PG Pittsburg | 2021 State KS , 5’11 2021 Guard, Pittsburgh HS: Grant has been on a scoring tear this season and he dropped 41 last night against Riverton to head into the break. Grant is a point guard who can get to anywhere he wants on the floor off the bounce and plays with great pace. Last night he put the whole package together and what really stood out in this scoring effort was his ability to finish in and through traffic off the bounce. He had the mid range pull up game going as well and his change of pace with the ball helps him get those shots off. The 2021 Guard knows the game well and can make plays for others including last night riffling a pass up the court to a running wing to get them a wide open 3.
Parker Stone Parker Stone 6'1" | CG Perry-Lecompton | 2021 State KS , 5’11 2021 Guard, Perry Lecompton: Stone put up 25 points in a winning effort last night and he was in control of the game throughout. His ball handling and his play off the bounce are high quality, but where the 2021 guard stands out his how well he moves without the ball. His ability to curl cut, back cut, and and v cut to get himself easy scoring opportunities is some of the best in the area.
Garrett Athon Garrett Athon 6'4" | C Jefferson West | 2021 State KS , 6’4 2021 Forward, Jeff West: The big forward for Jeff West scored 18 points in a tough loss for his Tigers. Offensively he carried much of the load on the evening, knocking in a couple of jump shots, but did a lot of his work inside. Athon plays well with angles and scoring off the glass, and capitalizes on his knack for offensive rebounding. His aggressive play also got him to the foul line where he continues to shoot a solid percentage.