Class of 2022: Forwards to Watch Down the Stretch

<p>Continuing looking at our 2022 class and who to keep an eye out for down the stretch of the season here in Kansas, we highlight some of the guys from the forward spots that could make a huge impact late in the season for their high school teams. Especially with the weather rescheduling and covid restarts, a lot of teams and players are about to go through really tough stretches could help some really stand out come playoff time in a couple of weeks.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1075924" first="Jack" last="Ratigan"], 6’5, Blue Valley West: The talented forward out of Blue Valley West has been on a great stretch in the last couple of weeks which makes him a prime candidate for this list. He is really starting to come into his own and establishing himself as one of the standout players in the the area. He is currently averaging 11.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game and shooting the ball at a 52% clip from the field and 35% from 3. West is starting to play better as the season goes on with a young talented roster, and it showed in a recent showing where they took BVNW down to the wire in a close loss, in that game Ratigan showed up big time scoring 17 points on 7 of 13 shooting and grabbing 4 rebounds. I love his play in the mid and low post areas with great footwork and balance, and he plays really well when squaring up off those catches in that area. His passing is also an underrated aspect of his game.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="946269" first="Sam" last="Somerhalder"], 6’7, St James: Since struggling in their first outing against Miege, Somerhalder has been on a dominant tear scoring in double figures in 8 straight games including an impressive rematch performance against Miege scoring 15, grabbing 5 rebounds, and handing out 4 assists. St James is another team starting to get things figured out and have a talented well balanced roster that is capable of beating high quality teams on any given night. The St James big man gets it done in the front court with his ability to finish up at the rim, uses angles to score, and is explosive off the bounce when attacking. He is currently shooting 60% from the field and averaging 15 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.7 assists. SJA has been trading wins and losses lately going 3 and 3 in their last 6, but the schedule has been meaty and each game has been a barn burner.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Jevon Hill, 6’8, Wichita Trinity: Hill is a fast rising prospect in the class of 2022, and he is the definition of long and lanky to the fullest extent. His Trinity team is sitting at 11-3 on the season and is primed to make some serious noise coming down the stretch, and Hill’s play throughout the season an as of late is a big reason why. He provides great versatility as a stretch forward on the offensive end of the floor and still has the ability to block shots on the defensive end. With his length and quick shot, he is really tough to get a solid contest on, and he can really shoot it. His recent play is highlighted with an 8 made three performance against Wellington.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1076261" first="Landon" last="Wagler"], 6’4, Shawnee Mission Northwest: Wagler is a big time versatile player who is a great component to a really solid SMNW squad featuring the likes of Dante Wheatcroft and [player_tooltip player_id="891904" first="Damare" last="Smith"]. He can bring them some smooth play from the post areas and playing off the wing, he can also bring them some physicality inside as well both scoring and on the glass. Wagler really has a little bit of each competent of the game in his skill set making him dangerous to impact the game in multiple ways every night out. Expect SMNW to be tough to beat down the stretch. Wagler averages  16.8 points, 5.6, and 2 assists per game (Stats reported as of 2/5).</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="891928" first="Mason" last="Belcher"], 6’7, Maize (Pictured): Playing on a loaded Mazie team with talented guards, Belcher has found himself a great role and proving to be an X-Factor for them as we head to the home stretch of the season. He is currently averaging 6.4 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, but he plays his role really really well night in and night out. He is really long and plays hard and extends plays running down lose balls or getting offensive rebounds. Belcher has a nice tough on his left and right jump hooks, which when he gets one on one post opportunities, he is effective at going to those moves. Maize could have a really great post season run and Belcher being that steady rock for them will be key.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1076398" first="Noah" last="Simmons"], 6’8, Valley Center: Another big forward who does a great job of playing off of talented guards, Simmons is a great forward prospect who himself will also be a big X Factor for his high school squad down the stretch. He is averaging 7.5 points, 5 rebounds, and almost 2 blocks per game and he affects the game with his size and effort in ways the stat sheet won’t show as well. You will see him diving for loose balls, getting hands on passes, and clogging lanes in help. With [player_tooltip player_id="946230" first="Gabe" last="Phillips"] and [player_tooltip player_id="889525" first="Eli" last="Isaacs"] manning the back court, strong consistent play from Simmons could be the extra push they will need to make a deep run.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>