Small Schoolers Make the 2022 list

<p>Last high school basketball season gave us a chance to see a lot of small school ballers make names for themselves. By getting listed on all-state teams, propelling their teams to winning seasons, or racking up a lot of stats, they demonstrated that they are worthy of recognition on the 2022 Player Rankings.</p> <p>Check out a few of the small schoolers to make the list (in alphabetical order):</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1195624" first="Marcus" last="Beck"], 6-4 forward, Nemaha Central:</p> <p>Marcus often gets overshadowed a bit by his twin brother, #88 Kurtis. But the two are so similar in their ability and playing style that Marcus deserves recognition. He’s a long, athletic forward who can do a lot of good things. He can handle the ball the length of the floor, make plays in the lane and on the perimeter, and is a disrupter on defense due to his combination of length and smooth agility. He gets slotted at #120.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1195615" first="Damian" last="Foster"], 5-9 guard, Waverly:</p> <p>Foster led Waverly to state as the team really got rolling in the second half. He was an occasionally big scorer for the Bulldogs, including 24 against West Franklin and 22 against Chase County. In the sub-state final, he scored 21. Foster earned third-team 1A Div. 2, and enters the rankings at #112.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1195612" first="Xander" last="Newberry"], 6-0 guard, Attica:</p> <p>Newberry enters the rankings at #109. He racked up an impressive stat line for a really good Attica team. He averaged 18.1 points and 7.0 rebounds, earning third-team 1A Div. 2.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1195623" first="Grayson" last="Ratzlaff"], 6-foot-7 forward, Hillsboro:</p> <p>Ratzlaff enters the ranks at #119, primarily for the role he played in propelling Hillsboro to the 2A state title. He’s a long, athletic force who doesn’t always put up big numbers because he doesn’t have to be the focal point for the Trojans. But he’ll be one of the most athletic big men returning in 2A, capable of leading Hillsboro back to the big dance.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1195613" first="Dylan" last="Van Laeys"], 6-foot-4 forward, Logan-Palco:</p> <p>Like Foster and Newberry, Van Laeys earned third-team 1A Div. 2, and he jumps into the rankings at #110. The long, rugged athlete is one of the best big men in the lowest classification. He averaged 11.4 points and 11.3 rebounds as a junior, demonstrating his toughness for plays in the paint.</p>