Overlooked Forwards and Centers
<p>Inevitably, a few players fail to receive the notoriety they deserve. Sometimes it’s someone in the shadow of a teammate. Sometimes it’s a player at a small school that doesn’t receive much attention (particularly true in Western Kansas). And sometimes its a member of a team that fails to achieve much success.</p>
<p>Here are a few Kansas forwards and centers who deserve some attention (in alphabetical order):</p>
<p><strong>Brayden Colglazier</strong>, 6-foot-1 forward, 2022, Pawnee Heights:</p>
<p>Colglazier is often overshadowed by 2023 teammate [player_tooltip player_id="1212165" first="Alec" last="Carlson"], a high-scoring all-state player. But Colglazier does a ton of dirty work and provides a lot of versatility for the talented Tigers. He averaged a double-double with 11.7 points and 10.5 boards. He also produced 2.0 assists and 2.0 steals, which earned him honorable mention 1A Div. 2 as a junior.</p>
<p><strong>Nolan Juenemann,</strong> 6-foot-7 center, 2022, Norton:</p>
<p>It’s hard to imagine a 6-foot-7 guy getting less attention than Juenemann tends to get at Norton. He averaged 12.1 points and pulled down 6.0 rebounds as a junior. With a lot of graduation in the Mid-Continent League, watch for the big man to get a lot more attention next season.</p>
<p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="946259" first="Austin" last="King"]</strong>, 6-foot-6 center, 2022, Udall (pictured):</p>
<p>King is a big man who works well in the post, moves well and protects the rim. He received honorable mention all state in 1A Div. 1 last year. He averaged 16.9 points and 9.8 boards. He was huge down the stretch, scoring over 20 points in each of the last four games, including 30 in the season ending loss to Flinthills. King is showing what he can do for Midwest Magic this summer.</p>
<p><strong>Aden Meracle</strong>, 6-foot-4 forward, 2023, Manhattan CHIEF:</p>
<p>One of several high-quality homeschoolers who fail to receive the recognition they deserve, Meracle caught a lot of eyes last year working with SSA Hoops Elite. His smooth athleticism and versatility stands out, regardless the setting. He averaged 13.8 points for a diverse CHIEF team last season. He posted 3.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.5 steals.</p>
<p><strong>Trayton Walker</strong>, 6-foot-2 forward, 2022, Oswego:</p>
<p>Walker earned second-team in the Three Rivers League last year. He scored 13.2 points per game, and ripped down 5.1 rebounds. He does most of his work in the lane and gets to the line, shooting nearly 8 free throws a game.</p>
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