Big Shoes to Fill in 2A

<p>Graduation claims some of the best players every year. When a great player moves on, it opens the door for another to step up and show their talents. But there can be some pressure when it comes to trying to replace a lot of production.</p> <p>Here are some returning players in 2A who will have big shoes to fill next year:</p> <p><strong>Jackson Biggs</strong>, sophomore, Lyndon:</p> <p>One of the top 2A programs last year, Lyndon loses a couple of top talents in second team 2A honoree [player_tooltip player_id="1134453" first="Miles" last="Kitselman"] and honorable mention point guard [player_tooltip player_id="1134452" first="Luke" last="Detwiler"]. The Tigers will have honorable mention performers <strong>Toby Miller</strong> and <strong>Darian Massey</strong> back. But the long, athletic Biggs is their most dynamic returner with the most upside. He is an explosive and versatile 6-foot-3 guard/wing who can make highlight plays.</p> <p><strong>Eric Dillinger</strong>, junior, Erie:</p> <p>The Red Devils lose a couple of star seniors in third-team 3A performer <strong>Mark Bogner</strong>, and tough big <strong>Dawson Lehman</strong>. But returning is Eric Dillinger, a 6-foot-5 forward who was the team leader in points and rebounds with 15.8 and 6.8. Dillinger led the Red Devils to the state playoffs, where they narrowly fell to Lyndon.</p> <p><strong>Nehemiah Byrd</strong>, junior, Riverside:</p> <p><strong>Bray Davies</strong> started his senior campaign like a house afire. He torched Royal Valley for 29, then hit for 18 against Perry-Lecompton and 21 against Hiawatha. Putting up those types of numbers against great competition was really impressive. But as the season progressed, the junior Byrd assumed a lot of the scoring lead for Riverside. Davies averaged 14.3 as a senior, while Byrd contributed 11.9.</p> <p><strong>Walt Gray</strong>, sophomore, Hutchinson Trinity:</p> <p>Replacing <strong>Lucas Hammeke</strong> won’t be easy for the Celtics. He was one of the most productive guards in the state, averaging 21 points, 4.0 assists and 3.3 steals. Gray plays a different style, but will be called upon to take up a lot of the slack. A rugged football star, Gray spends more time in the lane, but he has a sweet stroke from behind the arc and can rack up a lot of impact plays because of his versatility.</p> <p><strong>Wesley Young</strong>, junior, West Elk:</p> <p>The elite athleticism of graduate [player_tooltip player_id="946221" first="Devin" last="Loudermilk"] won’t be easy to replace. He takes 20.5 points and 7.0 rebounds with him. But 6-foot-4 Young is an impact player in his own right, particularly when it comes to crashing the boards. Young led the Patriots with 10.7 rebounds as a junior, and will see his scoring go up from the 12.5 he averaged this year.</p>