Week 9 Friday Night Stars: Standout Seniors

<p><em>Week 9 brought about some marquee matchups across multiple classes and across the state of Nebraska. From midseason conference tournaments to matchups featuring multiple future division one players, this week had a little bit of everything. Here are some senior prospects who stood out in Friday night’s action. </em></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="773431" first="Chucky" last="Hepburn"] - Bellevue West</strong></p> <p>Hepburn was dominant and did a little bit of everything for the Thunderbirds in their statement road win over previously undefeated Millard North. Notching himself a triple-double with 21 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists, the Wisconsin signee showed his ability to not only score at all three levels but also make plays for his teammates. Hepburn ended the first quarter with a deep three-pointer at the buzzer and followed that up by banking in a shot from halfcourt just to beat the halftime buzzer. The Badgers got a good one, and if Hepburn keeps playing like he has this season the T-Birds have a great chance of repeating as the Class A state champions. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="890468" first="Frankie" last="Fidler"] - Bellevue West</strong></p> <p>Along with his point guard [player_tooltip player_id="773431" first="Chucky" last="Hepburn"], Fidler also had a big night in the highly anticipated matchup with Millard North. The 6’6 senior is committed to Omaha, and he reminded all those watching that the Mavericks got an absolute steal. Fidler led the Thunderbirds with 24 points on the evening and also chipped in 8 rebounds as well. Fidler had 4 makes 3 point range, usually utilizing his quick release from the left corner. He also used some crafty dribble moves to take the ball to the basket and finish strong. Fidler also had a stout game on the defensive end, using his length to his advantage. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="773443" first="Hunter" last="Sallis"] - Millard North </strong></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="773443" first="Hunter" last="Sallis"] continues to do [player_tooltip player_id="773443" first="Hunter" last="Sallis"] things. The 6’4 5-Star guard recently set a commit date of March 26th, with schools such as Gonzaga, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Creighton in the running for his commitment. Sallis was very impressive against Bellevue West, tallying 26 points and 8 rebounds on an efficient 11-19 shooting. Sallis’ go-to is the mid-range game, where his patented elbow pull-up is still deadly. Sallis also had multiple strong takes to the basket and was a perfect 3-3 from the foul line when he found his way there. A strong senior campaign to this point has warranted Sallis being as sought after as he is. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="890470" first="Kwat" last="Abdelkarim"] - Lincoln North Star</strong></p> <p>North Star vs. Southwest turned out to be an incredibly entertaining game on Friday night, and [player_tooltip player_id="890470" first="Kwat" last="Abdelkarim"] was a major part of that. The crafty left-handed guard notched 24 points on the night, which mostly came either at the rim thanks to his great quickness off the dribble or in the mid-range game. Abdelkarim is one of the better scorers in the state, and also one of the top uncommitted seniors in the state as well. A microwave scorer, Kwat can get going in a hurry and he has shown the ability to score at all 3 levels so far this season. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958192" first="Ryan" last="Larsen"] - Millard West</strong></p> <p>One of the more underrated and underappreciated players in the state, Larsen has had a strong couple of weeks for the Wildcats. After setting a school record for made 3’s in a game last week, he led the Wildcats in a big rivalry win over Millard South on Friday night. The 6’3 senior led the way with 15 points, including a very impressive 7-7 mark from the free-throw line. He was able to put the ball on the deck and draw those fouls while driving to the basket. Known more for his ability to catch fire from beyond the arc, Larsen can also be a solid slashing guard when he wants to be. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p>