Open Notebook: Wichita East

<p>I had the chance here recently to stop by Wichita East High School and watch a practice ran by the great Joe Jackson (head coach). </p> <p>Although their season has ended, the future looks bright for East and there's a lot to be excited about for next year and beyond.</p> <p>A breakdown of their talent is below.</p> <p><strong>SaVaughn Carter </strong>(2019)<b> </b>is an overlooked interior player for East as he just transferred back for his senior season. At 6'7'' he is long, can be disruptive in the middle, and is capable of putting up a double-double anytime he steps on the floor. </p> <p><strong>Aaron Hill</strong>(2019) hasn't had a big year in regards to production but has been a great teammate and a really hard worker. </p> <p><strong>Jaylen Randle</strong>(2019) is a strong 6'0'' guard who is an offensive catalyst for East, with the ability to play on or off the ball at the guard spot. He is a three-year varsity starter and has led East in scoring for the past two years.</p> <p>Jaylen may need juco next year in order to be a qualifier for higher levels of basketball.</p> <p>Rounding out the senior class is another guard who excels defensively in <strong>D'Ron Jacobs</strong><b>. </b>The 5'9'' guard is a very, very explosive athlete who uses his burst in transition but will consistently beat you defensively. He also excels as a track athlete and holds Division II football offers. </p> <p>East also has a few talented juniors who are a big part of what they do now but will carry the torch next year more importantly. </p> <p><strong>Amos Alford Jr</strong>(2020), son of the late Coach Amos Alford, will be East's most talented senior next year due to his offensive ability and good size at the guard/SF spot at 6'4''. </p> <p>To complement the offensive prowess, <strong>Norman Massey</strong> (2020) will be another senior pillar for East next year and excels defensively as he consistently guards the other team's best player. He uses his combination of size and athleticism to disrupt opposing players defensively and will be needed if they are to make a postseason run. </p> <p><strong>James King </strong>(2020)<strong> </strong>is another name to keep top of mind as he was East's 6th man this season and will certainly take on a larger role next year as a senior.</p> <p>James is the ultimate glue guy for this East squad with consistent performances, a good motor, and an ability to hit the open three or take his man to the rack using his strength to get separation.</p> <p>East also boasts multiple very talented underclassmen that will rival Derby's younger class players as they all continue to develop. </p> <p>It starts with <strong>Daylan Jones </strong>(2021), having what some would consider a lack luster year. His production is comparable to his freshman year, as just hasn't taken the reigns on consistent scoring to lead the team.</p> <p>Daylan is the leader in every other statistical category besides points and has elite level vision and passing ability. Regardless of production in points, he is still a high level point guard at the next level.</p> <p>In the freshman class (2022), <strong>Fontaine Williams </strong>(2022) immediately passes the eye test and has the skills to go along with his athleticism as a freshman. Great offensive player with a potential to be absolutely lethal, showing his upside when scoring 18 points in two quarters against Topeka-Hayden this year.</p> <p>Fontaine is not the only talented freshman as <strong>Adriel Smith </strong>(2022) has seen varsity minutes at PG and excels defensively. <strong>Quincy Gholar </strong>(2022)<strong> </strong>is another freshman who has contributed with varsity minutes as he is a pure shooter with big upside.</p> <p><strong>Dreylin Kemp </strong>(2022) has played well in a lot of JV games this season using his motor to block shots and rebound like a maniac. At 6'4'' he already possesses good height for the varsity level but will need to increase his strength and put on a little weight to compete for big minutes.</p> <p>Great coaching means that a great product will be put on display next year and beyond and Joe Jackson is preparing his team and players for success on and off the court.</p>