Best Senior Ball Handlers at the KS Top 250 Expo

<p>The high octane Kansas Top 250 Expo was the perfect setting for guys how can put the ball on the floor and push it up the floor.</p> <p>Blue Valley Northwest’s <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="730611" first="Alston" last="Mason"]</strong> once again reigned supreme. He calmly splits through the defense and never seems out of control. But a lot of other seniors showed that they can handle the ball with elite skill.</p> <p>Here were the top senior ball handlers at the showcase:</p> <p>Guards:</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1072884" first="Brevin" last="Canady"], Royal Valley:</strong></p> <p>Canady’s long arms and spiffy crossover make him a fine ball handler in the open court. He appeared under control but aggressively pushed defenses throughout the Expo. He can get to the hole, but more routinely he accelerated the tempo to set up open shooters. Teaming with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="891912" first="Nahcs" last="Wahwassuck"]</strong>, Royal Valley will be in good hands this fall.</p> <p><strong>Ty’ren Miller, Wichita Heights:</strong></p> <p>The quick and powerful Miller broke down defenses at the Expo and could get to the hole. He uses his quickness and deft control to push the ball faster than defenses could keep up. But he’s not all about creating his own shot. He broke down defenses to kick the ball to shooters or dump it off to runners at the goal.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1070194" first="Jahi" last="Peppers"], Highland Park:</strong></p> <p>Peppers outran defenders at the Expo the same way he does it for the Scots. He never slows down and once he gets a step, he’s gone. The up-and-down style of the Expo was perfect for Peppers, particularly as others wore down. At 5-foot-10, he uses his speed on the dribble to create the space he needs.</p> <p><strong>Austin Smith, Junction City:</strong></p> <p>Smith showed he had the quicks off the dribble to create opportunities to score. He exploited cracks in the defense to get in the lane and he hit midrange shots off the dribble. Though he’s just 5-foot-9, he can create space to get easy shots off.</p> <p>Bigs:</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="889454" first="Jack" last="Chapman"], Blue Valley Northwest:</strong></p> <p>Mason’s teammate has an unfair ability to handle the ball for his size. The 6-foot-7 Chapman showed at the Expo that he doesn’t need to make outlet passes. He can just take off with a rebound and destroy a defense on the way up the floor. He could dribble to an open perimeter shot, or drive clear to the rim. His height is an advantage on the drive. He covers a ton of ground with each step, and his long arms allow him to keep the ball away from defenders.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="946220" first="Carter" last="Lichtsinn"], Olathe West:</strong></p> <p>He is really strong with the ball on the drive. His combination of power and quickness help him get an edge and get by defenders. He is confident to put the ball on the floor all over the court and he creates shots for himself with the dribble on the perimeter and in the midrange.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="889462" first="Alex" last="Littlejohn"], Carroll:</strong></p> <p>Littlejohn is an elite ball handler for a 6-foot-5 guy. He works hard on the defensive glass, so he winds up with a lot of rebounds in his hands. Once he has the ball, he can turn and push it quickly enough to leave other bigs behind. He rarely looks out of control, but he has the quickness and long arms to evade defenders. He is an effective distributer of the ball on the move.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1072878" first="Patrick" last="(PJ) O’Neil"], Olathe East:</strong></p> <p>The Expo was a great opportunity for O’Neil to show off his versatility. He can do some of everything, and at 6-foot-5, that includes push the ball in the open floor. He tests defenses to find openings and never lets up the pressure. He can create his own shots off the dribble, including a great jumper on the move or a fade away.</p>