Finishing Strong – UKC

<p>Graduations are happening across the state. A handful of the top players from the class of 2021 will continue their basketball careers at the next level. Some will choose to play other sports, or pursue other interests. But regardless, they have left important marks on the Kansas basketball landscape.</p> <p>A few of the top stars of the United Kansas Conference include De Soto big men [player_tooltip player_id="889460" first="Nate" last="Barnhart"] and [player_tooltip player_id="1070199" first="Wyatt" last="Noll"]. But there were other seniors who finished their high school careers in style and made their schools proud.</p> <p>Here are a few faithful seniors from the UKC:</p> <p>Peyton Basler, 6-foot guard, Lansing:</p> <p>A star on the baseball diamond, Basler is a leaper who scored a lot of points for the Lions. He brought a lot of leadership and grittiness to the team. He was an elite shooter who understood how to find open spots and get his shot off. He added good ball handling and defense to the rotation.</p> <p>Malik Benson, 6-foot-1 guard, Lansing:</p> <p>An all-around athlete and multi-sport star, Benson understood competition and winning. With the kind of leaping ability that makes him an elite long jumper, Benson showed some serious hops on the court. He’s a well-built, powerful ball handler who attacks the lane and makes some highlight plays.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="889502" first="Harvey" last="Davis Jr"]., 6-foot-1 forward, Shawnee Heights (Pictured):</p> <p>Davis was a powerhouse forward who gave up a few inches to nearly every post he faced, but never backed down from a fight. He was a ferocious rebounder and defender who was often good for 10 to 15 points. Davis did a lot of winning early in his career, but continued to be a solid leader when things weren’t going so well.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1072892" first="Isiah" last="Johnson"], 5-foot-9 guard, Shawnee Heights:</p> <p>Sadly, Johnson’s season was plagued by one injury or issue after another. He only played in a handful of games. But when he was at full strength, he put up 32 against Tonganoxie, 29 against Topeka West, 22 against McPherson and 19 against DeSoto. Those are not slouches that he was lighting up. Johnson was an instant fast-break waiting to happen. He had great speed to get to the goal before the defense. He was really active and disruptive on defense, producing more points at the other end.</p> <p>Arnoldo Silvestre, 5-foot-11 guard, KC Turner:</p> <p>Turner had a rough season, but Silvestre is a multi-sport athlete who just never slows down, just as you would expect from a decorated soccer star. Silvestre handles the ball and plays aggressive defense, and his speed and quickness are tough for defenders to handle.</p>