CLASS 4A: Day 1 Stock Risers

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The opening round of the Kansas 4A state championships opened on Thursday with quarterfinal play at Tony’s Pizza Events Center in Salina.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Rose Hill defeated Parsons in the opening game (61-57); Augusta followed with a win over Ottawa (53-41); Piper defeated Buhler (71-52); and Bishop Miege won over Andale (65-61).</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><strong>Christian Arndt, 6’5, F, 2020, KC Piper (pictured)</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arndt is an impressive physical player with a combination of strength, size and skill. He had moments of brilliance running the pick-and-roll as the Pirates roll man and showed the ability to finish in traffic. He has terrific hands and seemingly catches everything thrown his way. Arndt is a terrific rebounder at both ends of the floor and pursues the ball off the glass with reckless abandon. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">He went for a double-double in the second half alone on Thursday against Buhler, scoring 10 points and hauling in 14 boards and finishing the contest with 14 points and 19 boards.</span></p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="889470" first="Harrison" last="Braudis"], 6’1, PG, 2021, Bishop Miege</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A quick, athletic point guard, Braudis has terrific size, quickness and surprising leaping abilities. He is a crafty ball handler who shows the ability to create offense off the bounce and can get into the lane and make plays. Braudis uses his athleticism to his advantage when he attacks the rim and can finish tough chances in traffic. He helped lead a second-half comeback by Bishop Miege against Andale on Thursday, scoring 13 points, including 11 in the second half.</span></p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="885532" first="Jaren" last="Jackson"], 6’1, G, 2020, Augusta</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jackson was one of four players who scored in double figures for Augusta as he finished with 11 total points. However, it was Jackson’s play at the defensive end that impressed as he played tough, hard-nosed defense against Ottawa guards and came up with several key turnovers. He is a hard worker at both ends of the floor and has a quick shooting release and the ability to knock down outside shots.</span></p> <p><b></b><b>[player_tooltip player_id="885559" first="Ezekiel" last="Lyons"], 5’11, G, 2020, Parsons</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One of the state’s most underrated prospects, Lyons showcased an all-around game on Thursday as he led all scorers with 26 points, including 20 in the first half  in a tough 61-57 quarterfinal loss to Rose Hill. Capable of playing either guard spot, Lyons can get his team into an offense, distribute the ball or put points on the board in a variety of ways. He can shoot from behind the 3-point arc, create his own shot off the bounce and can take and make tough chances. He is able to get to the basket and finish tough chances and has good quickness with the ability to get past most defenders. </span></p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="885516" first="Ty" last="Shelley"], 6’4, G, 2020, KC Piper</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Shelley has rightfully earned a reputation as one of the state’s top 3-point shooters. He has terrific size at 6’4 with a strong, athletic frame and is more than just a shooter, able to defend, run the floor, handle the ball and get on the glass. He has been a big part of the Pirates’ success over the past two years and he scored 18 points for KC Piper as the Pirates held off Buhler in Thursday’s quarterfinal contest. </span></p>