Winter Stock Risers: Underclassmen

*Photo Credit to Grace Reich* Prep Hoops takes a look at some of the state's top underclassman stock risers this winter. This is by no means a comprehensive list, but individuals I have been able to see and that stood out.   Have recommendations on where to look next? Tweet us, message us, email us, we'd love to hear from you.   Kole Barger (2022) - Derby High School With the injury to Grant Adler, Kole has gotten the opportunity to play some major varsity minutes and has contributed right away. The 6’3’’ freshman has great size for his class and position to go along with his ability to shoot the basketball or aggressively drive downhill. Defensively he moves his feet well and has no problems guarding bigger players or even low block players, as he uses body positioning well to either prevent a deep catch or completely obstruct the passing lane. If you didn’t have a roster, there’s not a chance you would guess this young man is a freshman. He certainly deserves to be in the conversation for the top players in the state for 2022.   Keither Florence (2021) - Wichita Heights High School Keither doesn’t get the lion share of attention for big men at Height as he often is caught in Danair Dempsey’s shadow. However, the 6’7’’ sophomore effectively alters shots in the paint and protects the rim alongside Danair. His length makes him an effective rebounder and he possesses a good motor to track down rebounds on the offensive boards. Still a bit raw offensively but has a lot of time to develop and is getting some really great varsity playing experience under Coach Auer.   Sterling Chapman (2021) – Campus High School Sterling had a great summer and really saw his stock elevate most over summer after competing in multiple Pangos camps which included a Top 60 performance. Sterling certainly is a talented sophomore who is a major contributor in the star studded lineup that Campus has put together this season. There’s never a shortage of points with Sterling around as he can score from all three levels and really has some range out beyond the three point arc.   Christian Bowen-Webb (2022) – Atchison High School Christian is getting big minutes as a freshman at Atchison and a lot of touches offensively as well, usually resulting in a lot of field goals attempted per game. The 6’2’’ guard is a good shooter and is refining his game off the dribble to be a bigger threat for Atchison in the years to come. At the moment, still a big producer and stat stuffer offensively as a freshman and certainly one to watch going forward.   Rone Smith (2021) – Southeast High School We’ve briefly touched on it before but with the departure of both Shawn Warrior and Israel Barnes, there was an opportunity for players at Southeast to step up and fill the void in missing offense for the Golden Buffaloes. Appears that Rone was ready and waiting. A highly rated prospect coming into high school, attending the CP3 Rising Stars Camp in 2017. Rone is showing a good feel for the game and an above average ability to rebound from the guard position. He has a nose for the ball and can finish in transition. A big part of the 12-2 start for Southeast alongside seniors Jun Murdock and Micah Jacques and sophomore standout Jackie Johnson III.   Amari Thomas (2022) – Derby High School Once again the banged up Derby squad has opened up opportunities for younger guys to get valuable varsity minutes and Amari is another freshman for them who has stepped up. With the injury to Josh Osborn who was sidelined for weeks, Amari stepped in and played some big minutes for Derby making an impact defensively and in the rebounding game. The long 6’3-6’4’’ freshman moves his feet well, has good hands, and is pretty skilled for his class and position. To add to all of that, he likes playing down low and doing some of the small things that a lot of prospects nowadays don’t enjoy (defense, rebounding etc).