Topeka Up-and-Comers

<p>There is a lot of turnover taking place at the Topeka schools. There will a lot of opportunities for playing time come fall. Here are a handful of up-and-comers to watch develop this summer (in alphabetical order):</p> <p><strong>Mister Cameron</strong>, 5-foot-10 point guard, 2024, Topeka High:</p> <p>Cameron was good enough as a freshman to earn a little playing time for the Trojans. He’s still very slight and has a lot of room for physical development. But he’s a smooth ball handler who is always in command. He can knife through defenses to set up shots and he has advanced court awareness. He’s long and lean and slick with the ball.</p> <p><strong>PJ Carter</strong>, 6-foot-4 center, 2024, Highland Park:</p> <p>There aren’t a lot of pure big men coming up in the ranks, but Carter fits that description. He is a wide, long post who moves really well for his size.</p> <p><strong>Jalen Freeman</strong>, 5-foot-9 guard, 2024, Seaman:</p> <p>Freeman really lit it up at a summer tournament and earned some appreciation for his work with Kansas 94x50 Elite. He’s a guy who can get past a defender and shoot a floater or an effective pull-up jumper. He also demonstrated a deadeye from deep. He’s a quick and nifty ball handler who also made his presence felt at the defensive end. Seaman is loaded at guard, but this is a guy to watch going forward.</p> <p><strong>Jacob Reimer</strong>, 6-foot-6 center, 2023, Topeka West:</p> <p>Playing time is tough to get at Topeka West. But they might be interested in going big, and Reimer could provide some height and an imposing presence in the lane. He has a long wingspan and is always a threat to block a shot. He moves around well and can catch in the post, where he’s developing his skills.</p> <p><strong>Dylan Sanchez</strong>, 5-foot-5 guard, 2024, Shawnee Heights:</p> <p>Sanchez is a disruptive force for Kansas 94x50 Elite, and he could bring that same type of energy to the T-Birds next fall. He attacks at both ends of the floor, and his quickness is tough to match. He pushes the ball up the floor looking to exploit creases, either to get to the rim, or to dish to a teammate. He has some skill with the deep ball too.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1212976" first="Chase" last="Thompson"]</strong>, 5-foot-10 guard, 2024, Topeka West (pictured):</p> <p>Thompson has been one of the top deep threats of the Topeka prospects this summer. He hits 3-pointers in bunches for Kansas 94x50 Elite. He will bring quickness, athleticism and pesky defense to the Charger camp this fall and might just challenge for some playing time.</p> <p><strong>Alex Valdivia</strong>, 5-foot-10 guard, 2023, Shawnee Heights:</p> <p>Valdivia is a smart and fundamental guard who is never out of control and makes good decisions. He’s a scrappy defender who anticipates and sticks his nose in for loose balls. He has a nice pull-up jumper and is a threat to catch and shoot from behind the arc.</p>