Big Shoes to Fill in 6A

<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 6A who will have big shoes to fill next year:</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1080193" first="Zion" last="Young"], sophomore, Campus:</p> <p>The athletic Young was a key component of the dynamic Campus club that finished second at state. But it will be a tall task to came up for the loss of seniors [player_tooltip player_id="730616" first="Sterling" last="Chapman"] and [player_tooltip player_id="824114" first="Stevie" last="Strong Jr"]. Young is a different kind of player, an athletic wing and dangerous shooter from the wing. He averaged 5.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists as a sophomore, but he demonstrated some high-level capabilities with 25 against Newton.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1131273" first="Kernan" last="Bundy"], junior, Blue Valley North:</p> <p>Bundy earned honorable mention in 6A as an integral member of the state champs. There’s no way Bundy can make up for the kinds of losses North will feel this year. It graduates [player_tooltip player_id="889487" first="Isaac" last="Patterson"], [player_tooltip player_id="747099" first="Nikko" last="Taylor"] and [player_tooltip player_id="962473" first="Andrew" last="Orr"], all very different players from Bundy. But he’s a good place to start. Bundy is a good shooter in the midrange and from distance, and is a long wing who averaged 13 points per game.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1080168" first="Jack" last="Bachelor"], sophomore, Washburn Rural (pictured):</p> <p>Bachelor is a very versatile and diverse talent. He handles the ball really well and commands the court well for a young player. He can defend and rebound, and has a lot of ability to score. But he’s played a supporting role to seniors [player_tooltip player_id="599759" first="Joe" last="Berry"] and [player_tooltip player_id="889486" first="Jack" last="Hutchinson"] for the past two years. Graduation hits the Junior Blues hard, and Bachelor will be one of the top returners trying to figure out how to make up for the loss of veteran talent.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1080171" first="Cameron" last="Carr"], sophomore, Manhattan:</p> <p>Manhattan was senior laden in 2019-20. They were greatly depleted last year, and a transition took place. It was [player_tooltip player_id="889495" first="Owen" last="Braxmeyer"]’s team, but as defenses schemed to stop the dynamic senior guard, Carr rapidly grew into a team leader. By the end of the year, the long-limbed 6-foot guard was leading the attack at point, crashing the boards and creating his own shots. The transition began, but with Braxmeyer gone, Carr will have the bulls-eye on his chest.</p> <p><strong>Avion Nelson</strong>, junior, Lawrence:</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="599752" first="Zeke" last="Mayo"] did it all for the Lions. The 6-foot-3 all-stater will be impossible to replace. But Nelson is an athlete 6-foot-1 guard who showed a lot of potential last season and will be the lead guard next year. He gained a ton of experience playing all the way to the state semi-finals as a junior.</p>