CLASS 3A: Senior Standouts who Impressed

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The opening round of the Kansas 3A state championships opened on Wednesday with quarterfinal play at Kansas State University in Manhattan.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wichita Collegiate defeated Colby (56-48); Beloit defeated Nemaha Central (51-43).</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Kansas High School Activities Association announced on Thursday the remaining state tournament games will not be played.</span></p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="885581" first="Wyatt" last="Carmichael"], 6’3, F, 2020, Haven</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A talented forward for Haven who can make plays around the rim in transition. He has good hops for a player his size and is strong and adds muscle and a lot of upper body strength. He’s a good rebounder and can score and a host of ways at the low post in high post and even connects from the free-throw line. The leading scorer for Haven had 13 points and added five rebounds in their loss to St. Mary’s. </span></p> <p><b>Eric Hammes, 6’2, G/F, 2020, Nemaha Central</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He plays defense and has shown the ability to score when he’s feeling confident and has an open look. That said, he is extremely active and has experience and knows how to use his athleticism to an advantage when defending the ball either on the perimeter or inside given his size and flexibility.</span></p> <p><b>Logan Henderson, 6’6, F, 2020, Galena</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A smart forward for Galena who can be difficult to contain given his size and experience. He looks to rebound and block shots but is also good at keeping the ball moving and finishing plays around the glass. Henderson was also a solid contributor against Burlington scoring 11 points, securing seven rebounds, dishing three assists and also had a block. </span></p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="885617" first="Caden" last="Hurla"], 5’9, G, 2020, St. Mary’s</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A solid go-to player who looks to run the floor and get his teammates involved. Hurla was second in scoring for St. Mary’s with 11 points in the win over Haven and had an impressive eight assists. He also made the game defining free throws to seal the deal at the end of the fourth quarter with just under six seconds remaining. A big finish for a hard-working senior who has put in the time and work. </span></p> <p><b>Vincent Palen, 5’10, G, 2020, Beloit</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A nice guard who can handle the ball, feed his teammates and play solid defense on the perimeter. He’s constantly on the move and is crafty and strong as a perimeter defender and offensive threat. He can attack and shoot jumpers and gets to the free-throw line as well. Palen was second in scoring for Beloit with 11 points in their win against Nemaha Central.</span></p>