Kansas City Up-and-Comers – Forwards

<p>Kansas City schools are tough places to get playing time. Particularly early. It takes a special player to get on floor as a junior, much less a freshman or sophomore.</p> <p>Here are a handful of up-and-coming forwards in KC to watch develop this summer (in alphabetical order):</p> <p><strong>Shaun Cannady</strong>, 6-foot-3 forward, 2024, KC-Washington:</p> <p>An athletic big running with Cauley-Stein Elite this summer, Cannady is a shot blocker. He thwarts attempts with his long reach and quickness off the floor. He finishes strong around the rim and often scores through contact. He has a good combination of power and agility and makes nice moves in the post.</p> <p><strong>Charlie Carroll</strong>, 6-foot-3 forward, 2024, Shawnee Mission East:</p> <p>Carroll is a long forward for the KC Spurs who can make plays in the lane or floating on the perimeter. He is a solid post presence and rebounder at both ends, but he has the versatility to do much more. He catches and shoots or gets shots on the move. He probes defenses with the dribble, showing his confident handle. He is a good perimeter shooter, causing even more problems for defenders.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1273045" first="Blake" last="Kilian"]</strong>, 6-foot-4 forward, 2024, Blue Valley West:</p> <p>A big athlete with the KC Spurs, Kilian runs really well and moves with agility around the lane. He has polished post moves and can face the goal. He is a good ball handler who often rips down a rebound and then pushes it up the floor with confidence. Kilian really carves out a niche as an offensive rebounder and scores frequently on put-backs.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1270297" first="Jaxon" last="Klein"]</strong>, 6-foot-5 forward, 2024, Blue Valley Northwest:</p> <p>Klein has been one of the most intriguing and entertaining bigs this summer. Playing with the KC Spurs, he is a competitive and fearless wing. He is showing the ability to impact the game in a variety of ways. Most eye-catching is his attacking and relentless style. He plays all-out and at a high speed, but he doesn’t make wild or unwise decisions. Blue Valley Northwest is a tough place to get playing time, but the Huskies graduate a lot of veterans. Klein has the look of a varsity standout, and may get playing time soon.</p> <p><strong>Jack Powell</strong>, 6-foot-2 forward, 2024, Blue Valley North:</p> <p>Powell has a versatile game that is some guard, some wing, and some post. He is a strong athlete who can really post up a smaller defender. He also can guard just about every position on the floor. He makes athletic plays on the move, filling the lane, chasing down plays, and blocking shots in transition. Powell has good hands and anticipation to pick off passes or poke the ball away from drivers. Powell is adding to his game this summer with Cauley-Stein Elite.</p> <p><strong>Teddy Saylor</strong>, 6-foot-1 forward, 2024, Shawnee Mission East:</p> <p>Saylor is a wing who could be considered a guard. But he also makes a lot of plays and guards in the lane. He rebounds at both ends and makes tough physical plays. He is a good ball handler who attacks defenses on the move, getting into the lane for runners and drawing fouls. Saylor is a very versatile ball player who could make a mark on the varsity soon.</p>