Topekans in the Rankings

<p>Returning Topekans are sprinkled throughout the Prep Hoops rankings. Here are guys who have shown on the club circuit, and on the high school scene, they deserve to be rated among the state’s best:</p> <p><strong>3 (2021) [player_tooltip player_id="599759" first="Joe" last="Berry"], junior Washburn Rural:</strong></p> <p>Berry has cemented this spot by helping Rural to the state finals as a sophomore, then establishing himself as co-Player of the Year in the Centennial League as a junior. He was named to the third team of 6A by the <em>Topeka Capital-Journal</em>. Berry finished with a 17.4 scoring average, but he scored 20 or more in six of his first seven games. He’s a respected leader and a versatile rock for the Junior-Blues.</p> <p><strong>37 (2021) CJ Powell, junior, Highland Park:</strong></p> <p>Powell led a renaissance of the Highland Park program. The Scots improved to 15-8 after going 3-18 in Powell’s sophomore year. The 6-7 Powll is as versatile as he is dominant in the paint. Powell is really good on the perimeter and scores his share from beyond the arc. He averaged 14.2 points as a sophomore, then raised his output to 16.8.</p> <p><strong>51 (2021) [player_tooltip player_id="889486" first="Jack" last="Hutchinson"], junior, Washburn Rural:</strong></p> <p>Hutchinson has developed a reputation as one of the best shooters around. He’s been known as a sharpshooter since his freshman year at Hayden. The 6-foot junior had five 3-pointers against Highland Park and four against Olathe North. The threat he posed from the perimeter helped Berry earn a share of the Centennial League Player of the Year.</p> <p><strong>62 (2021) [player_tooltip player_id="889499" first="Isiah" last="Esquibel"], junior, Topeka High:</strong></p> <p>The 6-foot-2 junior has impressive skills and physical talents. The younger brother of Trojan mainstay [player_tooltip player_id="885529" first="Carlos" last="Esquibel"] was contributing significantly before his season was cut short in late January for an undisclosed reason. He had 13 against Emporia and 14 against Junction City. He will have plenty of chances to take a giant leap forward as a senior with the graduations of [player_tooltip player_id="726594" first="King" last="Sutton"], Da’Vonshai Harden and Isiah’s big brother.</p> <p><strong>65 (2021) Harvey Davis, junior, Shawnee Heights:</strong></p> <p>The 6-foot-1 Davis has been a linchpin in the Thunderbirds lineup since his freshman year. Despite being small for a pure post player, he is a monster in the lane. Davis has the powerful build to dominate on the boards and has been worth about 10 points a game for three years.</p> <p><strong>71 (2021) [player_tooltip player_id="889508" first="Ty" last="Henry"], sophomore, Seaman:</strong></p> <p>Though Henry is ranked in the 2021 class, he is just a sophomore for the Vikings. At 6-foot-3 he has the size and length to be a mismatch at guard. He can handle the ball, create for his teammates, and shoot from the perimeter. If the Vikings are to improve following a rough rebuilding campaign, Henry will play a leading role.</p> <p><strong>86 (2021) [player_tooltip player_id="889529" first="Jeremy" last="Kendrick"], junior, Highland Park:</strong></p> <p>There weren’t a ton of opportunities for Kendrick to make headlines, playing with Powell, Juan’Tario Roberts and Jahi Peppers. The 5-foot-7 Kendrick will have the chance to play a bigger role next year for the resurgent Scots, who qualified for the state tournament this year.</p> <p><strong>44 (2022) [player_tooltip player_id="891929" first="Mateo" last="Hyman"], sophomore, Seaman:</strong></p> <p>Hyman teams with Henry as sophomore backcourt makes for the Vikings. Hyman was forced to handle the ball under extreme pressure as Seaman was pressured a lot. The sophomore-heavy Vikings were not very experienced, and it showed in their record. But Hyman will be a top playmaker and ball handler for the next two seasons. The 6-foot-1 sophomore scored in double figures several times in the final weeks of the season.</p>