KBCA All Star Game Coverage: Blue Team
Twenty four of the top members of the class of 2022 gathered at Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina Saturday for the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association annual all star game. The Blue squad won the entertaining contest 95-89, but more important…
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Continue ReadingTwenty four of the top members of the class of 2022 gathered at Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina Saturday for the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association annual all star game.
The Blue squad won the entertaining contest 95-89, but more important than the final score was the quality of play and the relationships on display. Seniors who competed with and against each other for years on the club circuit and in the high school ranks met one last time. Friendly rivals hugged, trash-talked and celebrated each other while still keeping the quality of play high.
The star of the game wound up being Cheney’s Harrison Voth. The kid got hot and drilled 5-7 from behind the arc. He knocked down 6-8 attempts and finished with 17 points as the Gold team scrambled to keep track of him on the perimeter. Voth is a smart guard who handles the ball with confidence and is sneaky athletic. His craftiness led to 2 steals on the defensive end.
Linden’s Toby Miller showed off versatility and nice touch from deep. He showed that his inside/outside versatility works with big school opponents just as well as it did when he starred at the 2A level in high school. Miller found openings in the paint to drop soft jumpers, then he slid outside and dropped 2-3 attempts from deep. Miller might have been the small schooler who opened the most eyes in Salina, notching 15 points and contributing solid defense and ball movement.
Elijah Brooks earned Mr. Basketball from the KBCA Saturday night. The Topeka West star grabbed 7 rebounds and pushed them up the floor to speed up the pace of the game. A humble and team-first star, Brooks dished out a game-high 6 assists. He got out on a couple of breaks, as is his specialty, he showed he is tough to stop in the midrange. Brooks notched 13 points on 6-11 attempts.
Sam Somerhalder demonstrated just what a matchup problem he is from the off-guard spot. No one else in Salina could match the 6-foot-7 St. James’ product’s length, spring and explosiveness on penetration. Somerhalder showed off some creative angles for his jumper on drives into the lane. He dropped 6-10 shots for 13 points. Somerhalder impressed with his passing too, driving the lane and kicking to open shooters or finding teammates in the lane.
Abilene’s Kaleb Becker was the fifth member of the Blue squad to break double figures. Becker was a warrior in the midrange, powering his way to shots and battling opposing big men. Becker recorded 10 points, 3 boards and 2 assists.